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AUCTION BRIDGE 



Explained in 
a Simple Praclical Way 



^y Elsie Holzman 



H 



WITH INTRODUCTION BY 

LEE LANGDON of the NEW YORK 

BRIDGE WHIST CLUB 



« 



NEW YORK 
1922 



CVV i a f 2/ 



Copyright 1922 
Sy Elsie Holzman 



DEC 28 72 



C1&6 02 577 



INTRODUCTION 



The need for a treatise on Auction Bridge that is written 
in language the veriest tyro can understand and that will 
set forth its principles so that the beginner may learn to 
play this interesting and popular game, has induced the 
author to publish this volume. 

The author has been a successful teacher of the game for 
some years. She customarily furnished her pupils who 
were just beginning to learn a series of written instructions 
to study between lessons. These were found so helpful to 
her pupils and so many requests for them were received 
from others that she determined to elaborate them into 
a book. 

Although this is a book from which one who has never 
played the game may teach oneself, it must not be classed 
as a book for beginners alone. The author's rules for bid- \J 
ding and her explanations of the reasons for the rules are 
so sound and so lucid that the book commends itself to the 
advanced player as well. How often have we railed at our 
partner because he either did not know, or if he did know 
at least did not follow the author's dictum, that the first 
bid should give definite information and must not be on a 
King Jack suit or on six to a Queen, Jack, with an outside 
Ace or King. Many a penalty would have been avoided 
and many a penalty might have been collected from the 
adversaries if we could have been assured that our partner's 
original bid signified, as she says it should, two certain 
tricks no matter what the trump eventually may be. 

Her chapter on second hand bidding is particularly com- 
mended to the attention of those optimistic bidders who bid 
two of a minor or even a major suit after a no trump when 
they are very weak in the other major suit. 



/ 



The chapters on General Comment also contain some mat- 
ters very commonly overlooked by the average player and 
the chapters on Doubling are very interesting and properly 
emphasize the caution that should be displayed in using this 
weapon. Likewise those on General Play with Dummy, the 
Choice of Suit to be Established, Finessing and Discarding 
all are well thought out and if followed carefully will un 
doubtedly improve the game of those who have played a 
long while. r J 

A carefully worked out index and glossary have mate- 
rially added to the value of the work, and I am pleased to 
see that she has also included the amendments to the Laws 
as proposed by the New York Bridge Whist Club. These 
are a growth and development of the Laws proved desirable 
by play at the Club, and to my mind are a decided improve- 
ment to them. F 




7 /Ucf^SK^ 



CONTENTS 

Page 
INTRODUCTION AND EXPLANATION OF 

THE GAME 1 

BIDS , .8 

SECONDARY BIDS 12 

SECOND HAND BIDDING 15 

THIRD HAND BIDDING 13 

FOURTH HAND BIDDING 27 

DOUBLING 29 

LEADS 39 

GENERAL PLAY WITH DUMMY 43 

CHOICE OF SUIT TO BE ESTABLISHED 47 

FINESSING .50 

•GUIDES TO PLAYING FOR DECLARER 54 

DISCARDING FOR DECLARER 63 

PARTNERS' PLAY AGAINST DECLARER 65 

SIGNALS 77 

DISCARDING FOR PARTNERS 79 

CONTENTS TO LAWS OF AUCTION 82 

THE LAWS OF AUCTION .83 

THE ETIQUETTE OF AUCTION 106 

N. Y. BRIDGE WHIST CLUB AMENDMENTS 107 

GLOSSARY 109 

INDEX Ill 



INTRODUCTION AND EXPLANA- 
TION OF THE GAME. 

Auction Bridge is a game played by four per- 
sons, with a pack of 52 cards. This pack is divided 
into four suits : Spades ^ , Hearts ▼ , Diamonds 
▼ and Clubs ej© . Each suit contains thirteen 
cards. 




The Ace is the highest of the suit, then the 
King, etc. The two players sitting opposite to 
each other are partners. It is customary to cut 
for partners, and the two cutting the lowest cards 
become one pair of partners, while the two cut- 
ting the highest are the other pair. In cutting, the 
Ace is the lowest card, then the 2 and so forth. 



The Game of Auction Bridge 



If two cards of the same denomination are cut, 
the values of the suits count as follows: Spades 
lowest, then Hearts, then Diamonds, and then 
Clubs. The player cutting the lowest card be- 
comes the dealer. 

After the partners are seated, the dealer shuf- 
fles the cards and has them cut by the player on 
his right. He then deals the cards, face down, 
one at a time, to the left, until all the cards have 
been dealt out. 

Two packs of cards, with different colored 
backs, are usually employed. While the dealer is 
dealing one pack, his partner shuffles the other 
for the next deal, placing it, when shuffled, on his 
right and to the next dealer's left. The next 
dealer is the player on the first dealer's left. 
Both the dealer and the dealing rotate to the left. 

After the cards have all been dealt, the game is 
opened by the dealer making a declaration. As 
there are thirteen tricks in every deal, the game is 
to take as many of the thirteen tricks as possible. 
The first six tricks do not enter into either the bid- 
ding or the count of the number taken. Only the 
seventh and all additional tricks are counted as 
part of the bid. The players bid in turn, contract- 
ing to make a certain number of tricks in excess of 
six, either with a certain suit as trumps, or with 
no trump at all. 



Introduction and Explanation of the Game 3 

In playing to a trick, each person in turn must, 
if possible, play the same suit as the one led. The 
player who plays the highest of that suit wins the 
trick, and then leads any card he pleases for the 
next trick. If a player has none of the suit led he 
may play any card of any other suit. If the card 
he plays is of the trump suit, he will take the trick 
with that, provided no player after him plays a 
higher trump. In other words, the trump suit is 
higher than any other suit, but it may be played 
only when the player has none of the suit led, or 
when trumps have been led, or when he decides 
to take the trick with a trump. A player who has 
none of the suit led may use his own judgment as 
to whether to play a trump or discard a worthless 
card in some other suit. In a game with no 
trumps, however, all the suits are of equal value, 
and the highest card of the suit led wins each trick 
in turn. 

In bidding, the suits have different values. 
Clubs are of the lowest value, then in order come 
Diamonds, Hearts and Spades. The lowest bid, 
therefore, is "One Club." This means that the 
bidder contracts to make, with the help of his 
partner, one trick above the first six, or seven in 
all, with Clubs as trumps. The dealer opens the 
game by making a bid or, if he chooses, by "pass- 
ing," that is, by making "no bid." The bidding 
proceeds to the left, and each person in turn must 
either make a bid higher than the preceding one or 
make a "no bid." To make a higher bid, a player 



The Game of Auction Bridge 



must bid either for the same number of tricks as 
the last bid in a suit of a higher value, or for one 
trick more in anything. If, for example, the 
dealer bid "One Heart," a higher bid is either 
"One Spade" or "One No Trump" or "Two 
Clubs" or "Two Diamonds," "Two Hearts," or 
more. 

The bidding continues until three players in 
succession have made "no bids." The fact that a 
player has passed on one round does not prevent 
him from bidding on the next or any subsequent 
round if he chooses, provided a bid is made after 
his passing. In some deals, there may be only one 
bid, the three other players making "no bids." In 
other deals, the bidding may continue for as many 
as three or four rounds before three successive 
players have passed. When all four players make 
no bids, the deal is void, and the next dealer deals. 

After three players in succession have passed, 
the bidding ceases and the last bid made is the con- 
tracting bid. It should be remembered that once 
a suit has been declared trump, all other suits 
have exactly the same value. In a No Trump 
declaration, every suit has an equal value. The 
partner of that side, who first named the suit or 
No Trump, not necessarily the one who made the 
last bid, is thereafter known as the declarer. The 
play then begins by the player to the left of the 
declarer leading a card. Before the next player 
plays to the lead the partner of the declarer, 



Introduction and Explanation of the Game 



who is now known as "dummy," puts all his cards 
face up on the table. The cards should be ar- 
ranged in suits, and it is proper to place the trump 
suit on the dummy's right. The declarer plays 
both his own and dummy's cards. The latter is 
not permitted to help his partner in any way, 
either by speech or by indicating which card he 
thinks should be played. 

After the thirteen tricks have been played the 
score is written down. Following is a sample 
score sheet: 



Declarer's 
Column 


Adversaries' 
Column 




HONORS 


30 
36 


In the honor column are entered all 
penalties, scores for honors, and 
scores for slams and rubber. 


TRICKS 


18 
10 


down — as shown 

In the trick column are entered 
only the points made for tricks taken, 
Only the points entered in this column 
count towards the game and rubber. 



If the declarer makes his contract or more, he 
scores in the trick column for each trick made 
over the first six tricks : 

6 points if Clubs are trumps. 

7 points if Diamonds are trumps. 

8 points if Hearts are trumps. 

9 points if Spades are trumps. 

10 points if there are No Trumps. 



The Game of Auction Bridge 



If the declarer loses his contract, no score is 
entered in the trick column, but the adversaries 
score in the honor column, 50 points for each 
trick he is short of his contract, irrespective of 
what are trumps. In the honor column are also 
scored what are known as Honors. These are the 
Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten of trumps, or 
the four Aces in a No Trump. The partners orig- 
inally holding these honors at the time the deal 
was completed, score as follows: 

TRUMPS. 

3 Honors in 2 hands count 2 times value of trick. 

4 Honors in 2 hands count 4 times value of trick. 

5 Honors in 2 hands count 5 times value of trick. 
4 Honors in 1 hand count 8 times value of trick. 

4 Honors in 1 hand and 

5th in partner's count 9 times value of trick. 

5 Honors in 1 hand count 10 times value of trick. 

NO TRUMPS. 

3 Aces in 2 hands count 30 

4 Aces in 2 hands count 40 
4 Aces in 1 hand count 100 

2 Aces, known as "Easy Aces" do not count for either side. 

Little slam (every trick but one) counts 50 

Grand slam (every trick) counts 100 

A game (sometimes colloquially called a frame 
or a leg) is won when 30 points or more are 
scored in the trick column. These points need 
not necessarily be made in one deal. Only the 
declarer can win a game, never the adversaries. 
It should also be noticed that one game must be 
completed before another is begun. If the de- 



Introduction and Explanation of the Game 7 

clarer has made more than 30 points, all the 
points he has made are counted in that one game 
only. He cannot count the extra points towards 
the next game. If the adversaries have scored 
something less than game in the trick column, 
these points cannot be used towards the next 
game. 

When a side has won two games the rubber is 
completed, and in scoring points that side enters 
in the honor column, 250 points in addition. Both 
the scores for tricks and honors of each side are 
then added, and the side with the higher score 
wins the rubber. The score of the losing side is 
then subtracted from the score of the winning 
side, and the remainder is the number of points 
won by each partner of the winning side. As 
the 250 points won for the rubber constitute a 
very large proportion of the entire amount, it 
can easily be seen that, with few exceptions, the 
side scoring this sum must win the rubber. 



The Game of Auction Bridge 



BIDS. 

There are two kinds of bids — original and sec- 
ondary. The first bid made is the original or free 
bid, all other bids being forced or secondary. An 
original bid is of an offensive character, express- 
ing the hope of the declarer to win the game. It 
is primarily an informatory bid, and is intended 
to give definite information to the partner. A 
forced or secondary bid may be an offensive and 
strong declaration, but cannot be positively ac- 
cepted as such. It may be simply defensive; 
either an attempt to prevent the adversaries from 
winning the frame, or a desire to play the hand 
with the suit declared as trump. 

The suits are divided into two classes — major 
and minor. At a love score, if spades or hearts 
are trumps, it requires four "odd" tricks to win 
the "frame" of 30 points or more. These are the 
major suits. In diamonds or clubs (the minor 
suits) the declarer needs five "odd" tricks, or 
eleven tricks to win the "frame." The difficulty 
between making five tricks or four is often sur- 
prisingly great. On the other hand, it is usually 
easier to make four odd tricks in a trump declara- 
tion than the three which are needed for a No 
Trump. Therefore, if there is a choice between a 
No Trump and a strong major suit bid, it is ad- 
visable to bid the major suit. Between a No 



Bids 



Trump and a minor suit, always choose the No 
Trump, and between a major and a minor suit, 
the major suit bid is, as a rule, the better choice. 

An original bid of No Trump indicates an all- 
round good hand. A hand to be bid a No Trump 
must be above the average, and the Honors 
should be divided among at least three suits. If 
the hand does not contain an Ace, the suits should 
all be protected, containing at least one trick in 
each suit. 

ILLUSTRATIONS OF ORIGINAL ONE "NO TRUMP" BIDS. 

1. Spades A Q7 2 3. Spades Q 3 2 

Hearts AK3 Hearts '. A J 5 

Diamonds ... A 943 Diamonds ... 4 

Clubs 9 2 Clubs A K Q J 9 2 

2. Spades K Q3 2 4. Spades K J 32 

Hearts A J 3 Hearts K 10 6 3 

Diamonds... K J9 2 Diamonds... Q J 10 

Clubs 4 3 Clubs K Q 9 



'Pass" on these hands. 



Spades 7 3 2 

Hearts A K 9 

Diamonds... Q 10 7 

Clubs Q 9 2 

Spades A 7 3 

Hearts A 10 6 

Diamonds ... Q 73 

Clubs Q 8 5 



The smallest number of cards with which to bid 
one in a trump suit is five of the suit bid, including 
a certain trick in that suit, and a sure trick in an- 
other suit. A certain trick is either an Ace or the 



10 The Game of Auction Bridge 

combination of a King and Queen. Xo other 
combination can be counted upon for a certain 
trick. If the bidder depends on a King and Jack 
combination for a trick, he will be disappointed, 
for the Ace and Queen may be in the hand after 
him, and there will then be no trick in his hand. In 
the case of a Queen, Jack, Ten, which may bring 
a trick eventually, the thirteen cards of that suit 
must be divided evenly to guarantee a trick, but 
in the vast majority of deals, that suit will be 
trumped on the third time it is played. Of 
course, if the original bidder finally gets the con- 
tract, the Queen, Jack, Ten will probably make a 
trick ; but it must be emphasized that the original 
bid is of a purely informatory nature, and a bid 
of one in- a Trump declaration, indicates two 
tricks in the hand, even if the adversaries make 
the final bid. This will appear from the follow- 
ing examples of hands: 

ORIGINAL BIDS. 

1. Spades Q 7 3 3. Spades J 7 3 

Hearts A K 10 6 3 Hearts K 10 6 2 

Diamonds... 7 Diamonds... 6 

Clubs KQ 9 6 Clubs AKQ96 

Bid 1 Heart Bid 1 Club 

2. Spades AQ732 4. Spades Q J 10 8 5 

Hearts K 10 8 4 Hearts A 9 43 

Diamonds... K Q 7 4 Diamonds... J 7 6 

Clubs 5 Clubs 10 

Bid 1 Spade No Bid 

5. Spades J 4 3 

Hearts J 10 7 4 

Diamonds. . . 7 

Clubs K Q 10 9 8 3 

No Bid 



Original Bids 11 

Since an original bid of one signifies two cer- 
tain tricks in the hand, no matter what the trump 
eventually may be, this knowledge will be of 
material value to his partner should he wish to 
change the original bid. It is also a defense, for 
even if the adversaries of the original bidder win 
the declaration, it at once indicates two probable 
tricks against the declarer. 

When the hand does not permit of an original 
bid of one, because it misses the two top honors, 
and yet is too strong in the major suits to pass, 
( e -g-> Qj J, 10 x x x* or more and outside tricks, 
or A, K, Q, x x x* or more with no outside tricks ) 
the bidder may make what is called a "pre- 
emptive" bid of two or more in the long suit. 
This bid has two advantages to offer. In the first 
place it is information to the partner that the 
declarer wishes the hand to be played only in the 
suit bid, and, in the second place, it may prevent 
the adversaries from bidding their suit, since it 
may require too high a bid for one opponent to 
make at once. The reasons for not bidding two 
Clubs or two Diamonds, are that such bids sel- 
dom prevent the adversaries from bidding, and 
may prevent the partner, and also because, on a 
love score, it is improbable that the game can be 
won in such minor suits. If the declarer does 
think that he can win the game in the minor suit 
as trumps, his proper bid should be either One 
in the suit, or the full value of the hand at once. 



These X marks each indicate cards below the ten. 



12 The Game of Auction Bridge 

SECONDARY BIDS. 

Secondary bids fall into three classes. 

First : A bid made after an original adverse bid. 
This is sometimes called a "forced" bid, as dis- 
tinguished from other secondary bids. It should 
show at least five in the suit bid with two honors 
and one or more probable outside tricks, or a 
strong suit in the suit bid. A secondary bid in 
this class may be as strong or even stronger than 
an ordinary original bid, but the partner should 
bear in mind that the bid may have been forced, 
because the bidder may have bid only to prevent 
the adversary from obtaining the declaration for 
too low a bid. 

Second: A bid made after having made a "no 
bid." Such a bid may not necessarily indicate a 
certain trick in the suit bid ; but if it does not, it 
should be at least a long suit with probable out- 
side tricks. This is usually a defensive bid. 

Third : A bid made in another suit or no trump 
after the bidder's original bid has been raised. 
This second bid should have at least five in the 
suit, the Ace, or five with two honors. It is a bid 
made for the purpose of informing the partner of 
the presence of two five card suits, and affords 



Secondary Bids 



IS 



him a choice. If the secondary bid be a no trump, 
it must show at least two probable tricks in the 
adversary's suit. 

ILLUSTRATIONS OF ORIGINAL , BIDS OTHER THAN 

ONE. 



1. Spades A K Q J 7 3 

Hearts J 8 5 3 

Diamonds. . . 10 6 

Clubs 2 

Bid 2 Spades 

2. Spades 3 

Hearts Q J 10 9 5 3 

Diamonds... A K 3 
Clubs Q 8 5 

Bid 2 Hearts 



3. Spades None 

Hearts 3 

Diamonds. ..KQJ10 8 5 43 
Clubs AQ J 8 

Bid If. Diamonds 

4. Spades Q 3 

Hearts 3 

Diamonds... Q J 10 8 5 3 2 

Diamonds . . . Q J 8 

. No Bid 



A bid after a free bid may be stretched, and a 
hand that would have been bid "One" originally, 
may be forced to "Two" secondarily, it being the 
only way of indicating to the partner the pre- 
ferred suit. 

ILLUSTRATIONS OF SECONDARY BIDS NOT TO BE BID 
ORIGINALLY. 



1. Spades A K 7 5 3 

Hearts 9 8 6 

Diamonds... Q 10 8 

Clubs 9 7 

To be bid "One or Two Spades" 
secondarily. 



2. Spades 9 8 

Hearts A 7 5 

Diamonds ... Q J 10 

Clubs K 8 



5 4 



To be bid "One or Two Diamonds' 
after a suit bid by adversary. 



*Not to be bid second against a No Trump. 



lJf. The Game of Auction Bridge 



3. Spades 7 5 

Hearts K J 10 7 5 

Diamonds ... Q J 4 
Clubs K 9 8 

To be bid "One or Two Hearts" 
after a bid by adversary. 



Second Hand Bidding 15 



SECOND HAND BIDDING. 

After an original suit bid, the second hand, to 
bid a no trump, should have at least one protect- 
ing trick in the suit bid by the adversary. Pro- 
tection is imperative in the suit bid because that 
suit will, in all probability, be led in the opening 
play. If the declarer has not this protection the 
adversaries may make five or six tricks in it before 
he can stop them. This protection does not need 
to be an Ace or a King and Queen; it may be 
sufficient if it be but a stopper, as, for example, 
a King and a small card, for these being after 
the free bid, can be called a trick. This is illus- 
trated by the two following almost identical 
hands : 



1. Spades K 7 2. Spades K 7 

Hearts Q J 5 Hearts J 7 3 

Diamonds... A K 10 8 5 Diamonds... A K 10 8 5 

Clubs A J 9 Clubs A J 9 

To be bid "One No Trump" after To be bid "Two Diamonds" after 
bid of "One Heart." bid of "One Heart." 

If the original bidder has bid a minor suit, it is 
often wise for second hand to declare his strongest 
suit, so that should the next hand bid, his partner 
will know his partner's strength. 

If the original bidder has bid "One No 
Trump," the second hand, if there is no score, 



16 The Game of Auction Bridge 

should not ordinarily bid, unless he thinks he has 
a fair chance of winning the game, or unless he 
thinks he can prevent his adversaries from win- 
ning the game should they change the bid. There- 
fore, he seldom bids a minor suit. The usual 
effect of bidding Clubs or Diamonds will not be 
to force the opponents to Two No Trumps, but 
to force them to bid a major suit, and against a 
major suit the defense is more difficult. Against 
a No Trump declaration a long suit may be ef- 
fective, but against a suit declaration it will 
probably be worth not more than one trick. 

SECOND HAND DECLARATIONS AFTER ORIGINAL BID 
OP NO TRUMPS. 

1. Spades 10 7 3 3. Spades 8 6 3 

Hearts J Hearts A 7 

Diamonds... 9 8 4 Diamonds... Q J 10 8 4 2 

Clubs AKQ J9 8 Clubs K 10 9 

No Bid after No Trump. No Bid. 

2. Spades 7 5 3 4. Spades 7 5 

[Hearts A 4 Hearts K Q 37 5 

Diamonds... K Q J 9 2 Diamonds... A 10 4 

Clubs Q 9 8 Clubs Q 9 8 

No Bid. No Bid on a love score. "Two 

Hearts" if adversaries need only 
one trick for frame in No 
Trump, 

5. Spades K J 9 8 

Hearts A Q J 7 6 

Diamonds ... Q 5 3 

Clubs 8 

Bid "Two Hearts" 

The same arguments hold good when there is 
strength in only one suit, with the rest of the 
cards trickles s. 



Second Hand Bidding 17 

If the No Trump bidder has already some 
points to his credit on the score, so that he needs 
less than three odd tricks for the game, it is often 
permissible for the second hand to make a bid 
which, at other times he would not be justified in 
making. But he would not make the bid if he 
believes he is able to prevent the declarer from 
making his game. For example, holding six or 
seven of one suit, with the Ace, King and Queen 
and no trick in another suit, it is usually advisable 
to make no bid, so as "to set" the adversaries, in 
their No Trump bid. A bid in that suit would 
warn the adversaries away from it and send them 
to make a suit declaration. 



18 The Game of Auction Bridge 



THIRD HAND BIDDING. 

The third hand, before making a bid, must take 
into consideration whether second hand has bid 
against the original declarer (third hand's part- 
ner), and where no intervening bid has been 
made. We shall consider the latter situation first. 

If his partner has bid a minor suit, the third 
hand should try to change the bid, preferably to 
a No Trump, or, if not, to a major suit. An 
original bid of a minor suit does not indicate so 
much a desire to play the hand with that particu- 
lar suit as trump, but rather a wish to encourage 
his partner to bid something higher. Remember- 
ing that in a minor suit it requires five odd tricks 
to win a game, the declarer hopes that his bid, 
which shows a fairly strong hand, will help his 
partner make a bid, either of a No Trump if pos- 
sible, where only three odd tricks are needed, or 
of a major suit where four tricks are needed. 
Therefore, the third hand is not required to have 
a real first hand bid of No Trump in order to bid 
it after his partner has bid a minor suit. When a 
No Trump is declared originally, the bidder ex- 
pects, until he learns differently from the bid- 
ding, that his partner has about a third of the 
missing high cards. When, however, first hand 
has bid a minor suit, he is assuring his partner 
that he has more than an ordinary hand. Third 



Third Hand Bidding 19 

hand, then, with but a mere skeleton of a No 
Trump, or almost a No Trump hand, will bid it 
in the assurance that this is the bid his partner 
called for. 

ILLUSTRATIONS OF THIRD HAND BIDDING AFTER 

PARTNERS ORIGINAL BID OF MINOR SUIT WITH 

NO INTERVENING BID. 



1. Spades Q 10 6 2 3. Spades K 10 6 

Hearts A J 7 Hearts K J8 7 

Diamonds... K Q 5 Diamonds... Q J 9 7 

Clubs J 9 7 Clubs 9 6 

"One No Trump" after partner's "One No Trump" after partn 

bid of "One Club" or "One bid of "One Club." 
Diamond." 

2. Spades Q J9 5 4. Spades 10 5 

Hearts Q 10 6 2 Hearts AK J8 7 

Diamonds... A J 3 Diamonds... Q 9 5 

Clubs 8 7 Clubs K 9 4 

"One No Trump" after partner's "One Heart" after partner's bid of 
bid of "One Club." "One Club" or "One Diamond." 

5. Spades K J 8 7 5 3 

Hearts J 10 

Diamonds ... Q 85 

Clubs 10 7 

"One Spade" after partner's Bid 

of "One Diamond" or "One 

Club." 

If third hand's partner has bid a major suit 
originally, it means that he has announced his 
wish to play the hand with that suit as trump, 
Therefore, third hand should change the declara- 
tion for one of two reasons only. First, when 
he holds remarkably strong cards, and wishes to 
show the other major suit, or thinks he can win 
the game in a minor suit. Second, when he holds 



The Game of Auction Bridge 



only one or none of his partner's suit. He must 
then try to warn him of that fact by changing 
the bid. The reason for the warning is that the 
original declarer may have only five trumps, and 
if his partner has but one, the adversaries will 
have the majority of the suit they are naming as 
Trump, in which case it will be difficult for the 
declarer to make the majority of tricks. Under 
such circumstances, with a generally fair hand, 
"One No Trump" is the correct bid, or, with a 
six-card suit, or even a fair five-card suit, that 
suit should be declared. If after showing weak- 
ness in the suit, the original bidder still continues 
to bid his own suit, the partner has done his duty, 
and need not change the bid again. If, however, 
he holds a very strong suit of his own, he should 
indicate this by bidding it once more, as the first 
"take out" may show only weakness in his part- 
ner's suit, with no particular strength in his own 
suit. This is illustrated by the following: 

THIRD HAND BIDDING AFTER PARTNER'S BID OF A 
MAJOR SUIT WITH NO INTERVENING BID 

1 . Spades 3 7 5 %. Spades 6 

Hearts A K Q 10 9 6 Hearts A Q 9 6 

Diamonds... K Q 9 Diamonds... K 9 5 2 

Clubs 8 Clubs Q J 6 5 

On first round after Partner has After Partner's bid of "One 

bid "One Spade" bid "Two Spade" bid "One No Trump." 

Hearts." If partner goes back If Partner bids "Two Spades" 

to Spades help in Spades if pass, 
necessary. 

When the original bidder has declared a No 
Trump, and his partner can show a fairly strong 



Third Hand Bidding 21 

major suit, the latter should bid it. The better 
the hand, the more anxious he should be to declare 
a good major suit, as that is the best suit in which 
to play most of the hands. No matter how many 
high cards the combined hands may hold in three 
suits, if one suit is unguarded, it will be impossible 
to stop the opponents from making every card 
they hold in that particular suit. That danger, 
which is the great one in a No Trump game, is 
not encountered in a trump declaration, where 
the adversaries' long suit will probably be 
trumped on the second or third lead. 

PARTNER'S BID AFTER FREE BID OF ONE NO TRUMP 
WITH NO INTERVENING BID. 

1. Spades Q J 7 2. Spades AK J9 6 5 

Hearts K Q 10 9 6 Hearts 7 

Diamonds... A Q 9 Diamonds... Q 8 7 3 

Clubs 4 3 Clubs 4 3 

Bid "Two Hearts." Bid "Two Spades." 

3. Spades K 8 3 

Hearts 7 5 

Diamonds. .10 9 

Clubs A K Q 9 4 3 

No Bid 

When the partner of the No Trump bidder 
has an extremely poor hand, but has one suit of 
six cards or two five-card suits, he should change 
the bid to indicate weakness. This is especially 
necessary when a minor suit is to be shown, for 
then the No Trump declarer will know that his 
partner would not change from a No Trump to a 
minor suit except from weakness. This is illus- 



22 



The Game of Auction Bridge 



trated by the following hands held by partner of 
No Trump bidder: 



1 . Spades J 7 4 

Hearts 9 6 

Diamonds ... 5 4 

Clubs Q J 9 6 5 4 

Bid "Tivo Clubs." 



2. Spades 10 5 

Hearts 4 

Diamonds... Q 10 9 8 6 

Clubs J 10 7 4 2 

Bid "Two Diamonds" or "Two 

Clubs." 



The same rules apply when an intervening 
bid has been made, as when there has been no in- 
tervening bid, with these exceptions : 

(a) When a partner has bid a minor suit, the 
third hand tries to bid a No Trump, but should 
have protection in the suit bid by his opponent. 



1« Spades 9 8 6 

Hearts K J 5 

Diamonds. . . A 10 7 

Clubs Q J 5 

Partner bids "One Club." 
2nd hand "One Heart." 
Bid "One No Trump." 



2. Spades 9 8 6 

Hearts K 3 5 

Diamonds. . . A 10 7 
Clubs.. Q J 5 

Partner bids "One Club." 

2nd hand "One Spade." 

Bid "Two Clubs." 



(b) When a partner has bid a No Trump, and 
the next player then bids, it is unnecessary to bid 
except from choice. To bid "Two No Trumps," 
this hand should have two tricks in his adver- 
saries' suit, and at least one probable outside 
trick, or one trick in the adversaries' suit and a 
strong outside card. 



1. Spades A J 2 

Hearts 8 7 6 

Diamonds. . . A 9 6 4 

Clubs J 4 3 

Partner bids "One No Trump." 
2nd hand "Two Spades." 
Bid "Two No Trumps." 



2. Spades 9 8 6 

Hearts K 9 5 

Diamonds . . . K J 6 5 
Clubs A 10 8 

Partner bids "One No Trump. 

2nd hand "Two Hearts." 

Bid "Two No Trumps." 



Third Hand Bidding 



(c) In changing the bid, the third hand would 
naturally take advantage of the fact that his 
partner had bid a No Trump, and he would bid 
on a weaker suit than he otherwise would, be- 
cause he knows that he will receive assistance 
from his partner. 

1. Spades Q J 10 8 6 2. Spades J 10 8 6 5 4 

Hearts 9 Hearts 8 

Diamonds... Q 10 7 Diamonds... 6 5 4 

Clubs. . Q 6 5 3 Clubs A Q 10 

Partner bids "One No Trump." Partner bids "One No Trump." 

2nd hand "Two Hearts." 2nd hand "Two Hearts." 

Bid "Two Spades." Bid "Two Spades." 

(d) To help his partner in his original suit, 
the third hand should have at least three of the 
suit bid, or two with a high Honor, and two 
probable outside tricks. 

1. Spades Q 8 65 2. Spades A 8 

Hearts 9 2 Hearts 10 2 

Diamonds... K 10 4 Diamonds... A J 8 7 

Clubs A 10 6 5 Clubs. K 10 9 

Partner bids "One Spade." Partner bids "One Spade." 

2nd hand "Two Hearts." 2nd hand "Two Hearts." 

Bid "Two Spades." Bid "Two Spades." 

3. Spades 8 6 3 

Hearts 9 2 

Diamonds... A Q 10 4 

Clubs.. K 6 5 3 

Partner bids "One Spade." 
2nd hand "Two Hearts." 
Bid "Two Spades." 

If the third hand has a choice between helping 
his partner in his declaration, or making a bid 
of his own, it is usually wiser to help his partner 
the first time, if the bid has been a major one. If 



The Game of Auction Bridge 



he gets another chance, he can then bid his own 
suit. If the original bid has been in a minor suit, 
it is ordinarily better for the third hand to show 
his strong suit first, especially if it is a major 
suit, and then on the next round, to help his part- 
ner, if his partner has not helped him. 

1. Spades 8 2. Spades A Q8 6 3 

Hearts K 9 5 Hearts 9 

Diamonds... Q 10 4 Diamonds... Q 10 5 

Clubs AK J9 6 5 Clubs Q 9 65 

Partner bids "One Heart." Partner bids "One Club." 
2nd hand "One Spade." 2nd hand "One Heart." 
Bid "Two Hearts." If "Two Bid "One Spade." If "Two 
Spades" are then bid by adver- Hearts" are bid, then bid 
saries, bid "Three Clubs" and "Three Clubs" and allow part- 
allow partner to choose. ner to choose. 

It is usually wiser to show two suits if pos- 
sible, so that the partner may take his choice. If 
the two suits to be shown are next to each other 
in value, the better method is to bid the higher 
suit first. If, however, they are not in sequence, 
the bidding will; probably be kept down by de- 
claring the lower one first. For example, if the 
two suits to be bid are Spades and Hearts, or 
Hearts and Diamonds, the first bid should be in 
Spades or Hearts, respectively. Then if an in- 
tervening bid is made, the lower suit should be 
declared on the second round, even if it be a minor 
one. The partner can now read at least ten of 
the bidder's cards and knows that he bids in order 
to give just that information. The partner must 
then indicate which he prefers, in case the next 
hand does not bid. If he prefers the suit bid last, 



Third Hand Bidding 



25 



he says nothing. Otherwise, he will change the 
bid to the first suit shown. If the bidder has 
shown a major suit and a minor one, his partner 
knows that he probably prefers the major, and if 
he has no preference, he will still indicate the 
higher suit. The declarer must realize that when 
his partner changes the trump back to the suit 
originally bid, he may not be showing any real 
strength in either suit but may only be choosing 
the lesser of two evils. The following illustrates 
this: 



1. Spades K Q 8 6 3 

Hearts 9 2 

Diamonds ... A K Q 5 4 

Clubs 10 

First bid "One Diamond." 
After any other bid, bid Spades. 



2. Spades K Q 8 6 3 

Hearts A Q 9 5 4 

Diamonds ... 8 6 
Clubs 3 

First bid "One Spade." 

After any other bid, bid Hearts. 




Note — This Diagram illustrates the positions of the players. A and B are partners; 
also Y and Z. Y's cards only are shown. 

Bidding as follows: — 
Z "One Spade." A "No more." 
Y "No More." B "Two Dia- 
monds." 



Spades Q 8 6 

Hearts 10 2 

Diamonds... Q 8 6 4 

Clubs J 10 9 6 



Z "Two Hearts." A "No more." 
Y "Two Spades" not showing 
strength in Spades but prefer- 
ring that to Hearts. 



When the declarer desires to bid two suits 
which are not in order in value, as, for example, 



26 The Game of Auction Bridge 

Clubs and Spades, the proper bid is usually "One 
Club." For if there is an intervening bid of 
Diamonds or Hearts, it will call for but "One 
Spade" to overbid, and if, after showing both, 
the partner chooses Clubs, he need bid only "Two 
Clubs." If the bidding began in the major suit 
of "One Spade," and there was an intervening 
bid of Hearts or Diamonds, it would take a bid 
of "Three Clubs" to show that suit, and if the 
partner preferred Spades he must bid Three in 
that suit, and both these bids might be hazardous 
to make. 



Fourth Hand Bidding 27 



FOURTH HAND BIDDING. 

Fourth hand has certain probabilities to con- 
sider before making a bid. If the original bidder 
has bid a minor suit, fourth hand does not usually 
bid, unless he sees a good chance of winning the 
game. His bid reopens the bidding and may give 
the original bidder the opportunity of changing 
to a major suit or a No Trump, in which declara- 
tions he stands a better chance of winning the 
game than if he had been left in the minor suit. 
If the original bidder has bid a major suit, fourth 
hand bids as if he were second hand, except pos- 
sibly a little more conservatively, because he 
knows from his partner's bidding that the latter 
has not a very strong hand. 

After a No Trump bid, fourth hand often will 
bid, when he would not have bid as second hand. 
Were he second hand, he would be the leader and 
could show his partner his long suit, but as fourth 
hand he has no way of informing his partner ex- 
cept by bidding. For example: 

Spades K 8 6 

Hearts 10 9 7 

Diamonds... A K Q 8 7 6 

Clubs 6 

If a No Trump is bid, second hand 

holding this hand, passes. If 

another bid is then made, he 

can bid "Three Diamonds." 
If a No Trump is bid, fourth 

hand, holding this hand, bids 

"Two Diamonds." 



The Game of Auction Bridge 



GENERAL COMMENTS. 

The score plays an important part in the bid- 
ding. If one side has won a game and the other 
side has not, the winning side should be conserva- 
tive and take no unnecessary risks. On the other 
hand, the losing side should take chances and risk 
losing by bidding high if there is any danger of 
their adversaries winning the rubber. It is worth 
losing the contract by one or two tricks, if the 
rubber can thereby be saved. But the rubber 
must not be saved regardless of any cost, because 
there is no certainty that if it is saved on the one 
deal, that the opponents will not win on the next. 
Then the loss has simply been increased. 

In estimating the chances of making a high 
bid, such as four or five, it is a good plan to count 
the losing tricks in the hand rather than the win- 
ning tricks. If the partner has not had an op- 
portunity to help, he can usually be depended 
upon for two tricks. If he has had the opportu- 
nity, and has not indicated any assistance, he 
probably has not more than one trick, even if that. 
The following method for counting these losing 
tricks leads to a fairly correct estimate : 

In a four card suit, count as a losing trick one 
small card to each Ace, King, Queen or Jack 
which is missing. 

In a one, two, three or five card suit, count off 
one small card to each Ace, King or Queen which 
is missing. 

In a longer suit, count off one small card for 
each Ace or King which is missing. 



Doubling 29 



DOUBLING. 

A double is a bid and renews bidding. That 
is, if a player doubles, three successive players 
must pass before the double stands. Then the 
hand is played as if there had been no double 
until the points are scored. If any bid, however, 
is made after the double, the double is then ren- 
dered void. 

To double any bid but the original one is a 
declaration by the doubler that he believes the 
declarer cannot make his contract. In other 
words, he is willing to make a bet to that effect. 
His "double" doubles the value of the tricks 
gained or lost, but not the value of the honors. If 
the declarer loses his contract, his adversaries re- 
ceive 100 points in the Honor column instead of 
the usual 50 for each trick short of the contract. 
If he makes his contract, the value of each trick 
is doubled in the trick column, and he receives, in 
addition, 50 points in the Honor column for 
having made his contract, and 50 points for each 
additional trick made over the number contracted 
for. 

In doubling, two points are to be considered: 
Can the adversaries defeat the declaration, and 
is the double worth the risk of its declaration. To 
decide whether the declarer can make his contract 



SO The Game of Auction Bridge 

or not, it is well to know how many tricks are 
needed to defeat him. If the bid is "Four," the 
adversaries must take four tricks in order "to set" 
(defeat) declarer. If the declaration is "Five," 
of course only three tricks are needed. It is un- 
wise to depend upon more than one trick in the 
doubler's suit, for the stronger the suit, the more 
chance there is that the declarers will trump that 
suit after the first round. Only Aces and Kings 
should really be counted upon as tricks, except 
in the trump suit. If his partner has made an 
original bid, the doubler can count on him for 
probably two tricks, and if his partner has helped 
the doubler in the latter's original bid, he has 
usually one trick in his hand. If the adversaries 
have bid two suits, it is necessary to have tricks 
in those suits, as the opponents must be short 
in the two other suits, and the high cards in them 
will be worthless. 

A free double is a double of a bid, which un- 
doubted would, if won, give the declarer the game. 
Such a double is one of Three No Trumps, Four 
Spades or Four Hearts, or Five Diamonds or 
Five Clubs on a love score. If the adversaries 
have 18 on the score, a double of Two in any suit 
is a free double, as the bidder, if he makes his 
contract, will win his game, even when undoubted. 
For such a double, only a fair chance of defeating 
the declaration is needed, as the double, if the 
declaration is made, will only give the declarer a 
few more points, which is not the important 
thing. 



Doubling 31 



If however, the bid is one, which, if won 
undoubled, will not win the game, such as Two 
No Trump, Three Spades or Three Hearts or 
Four Diamonds or Four Clubs on a love score, 
the double will have given him the frame, besides 
the extra points. Therefore it is necessary for 
the adversary to be almost certain of defeating 
the declarer before doubling such a declaration. 

Another point to be considered in doubling a 
bid is whether the declarer or his partner can 
change the bid to a suit which their opponents 
cannot double. Under such circumstances, it : s 
better not to double, and to be satisfied to leave the 
adversaries to struggle with the declaration as 
made. If, however, the bid is so high that it is 
improbable the partner will be able to change the 
bid, it should be doubled, on the chance that if 
the partner of the doubled player does change 
the bid, the partner of the doubler will be able to 
double that other bid in his turn. 

The reverse of this, of course, occurs when, if 
the bid is doubled it is wise for the partner of the 
declarer to let the double stand. He will do this 
unless he has nothing at all with which to help, 
and has a good suit of his own in which he is al- 
most certain to lose less tricks than his partner. 
It should be emphasized that when a bid has been 
doubled, it is usually foolish for the partner of 
the declarer to change to a bid which is also in 



82 The Game of Auction Bridge 

danger of being doubled, for he may then find 
himself in a worse predicament. 

Before deciding to double it is well to calculate 
first the number of tricks the declarer is likely 
to lose and then to decide if it would not be pre- 
ferable for the doublers to win the game in their 
own suit. If the doublers can win the game in 
their suit, they should bid to do this. For it is 
hardly worth while to make a possible 100 or 200 
points, unless they are far behind in the score. 

If the bidding has been correct and the partner 
has given correct information, it is usually not 
advisable for the partner of the doubler to change 
the double. If he fears that his bidding has indi- 
cated tricks which he does not hold, and is quite 
sure he will not be doubled, it is sometimes better 
for him to go back to the suit he has been bidding, 
especially if the double is of a bid insufficient to 
win the game undoubled. In ordinary cases, it 
is better not to change the bid, and to trust to his 
partner. 

As to a redouble, the best advice is, "Don't." 
It is so dangerous a bid, and may be made so 
seldom that it is almost not worth while even 
mentioning it. Each player should remember 
that he must never redouble on what he thinks his 
partner's hand may contain. A single false de- 
duction may cost hundreds of points. A bid 
should be redoubled only when, from his own 



Doubling 83 

hand, the redoubler is convinced that the contract 
will be made and there is no likelihood that the 
doubler or his partner will go back to their own 
suit. 

A double of an original bid is almost the exact 
opposite to that of any other double. It is a sig- 
nal to the partner of the doubler that he must be 
taken out of the double. By doubling a free bid 
he shows assistance in any bid his partner may 
make, and it is also a declaration that he cannot 
prevent the declarer from making his contract. 
A double of an original bid of No Trump is a 
declaration that the doubler can assist any suit 
his partner may declare. So that the doubler 
should not be short in any suit. If the original 
bid has been a trump declaration, a double indi- 
cates strength in every suit but the one originally 
bid. In either case, if the partner of the declarer 
makes no bid, the partner of the doubler must bid 
his longest suit, irrespective of what it contains. 
If there are two suits equally long, naturally the 
stronger suit should be bid, particularly if it is a 
major suit, but no matter how poor the hand is, 
the doubler must not be left in the double, and 
some bid must be made. 

(The following convention is adhered to by 
some players : When the partner has doubled an 
original bid, and no intervening bid has been 
made, the doubler's partner, to indicate a poor 
hand, will bid "Two Clubs," even if he does not 



The Game of Auction Bridge 



hold any card of that suit. After such a bid, it is 
up to the doubler to choose his own best suit, and 
bid that, because he knows then that he cannot 
rely on his partner for any tricks. This is a bid 
of which I do not approve, because it reveals to 
the adversaries the absolute weakness of the one 
hand, and gives them an easy opportunity to 
double any bid which may then be made. ) 

If the adversary bids after the doubler, then, 
of course, no bid need be made, but the partner 
of the doubler should take advantage of the in- 
formation given him by his partner, and bid from 
length, even without much strength. If the 
double has been of a trump declaration, and there 
has been no intervening bid, and the partner has 
strength in the suit originally bid, without any 
other length, it is possible for him to bid a No 
Trump. This is a dangerous bid, however, and 
should only be resorted to when there is no other- 
bid open to him. 

EXAMPLES OF DOUBLES OF AN ORIGINAL BID. 

1. Spades 7 2. Spades K Q 10 5 

Hearts K J 10 4 Hearts None 

Diamonds ... A Q 53 Diamonds ... Q 9 8 

Clubs A 10 9 8 Clubs A J 10 4 2 

Double after an original bid of Double after an original bid of 
"One" or "Two Spades." "One Heart" but if partner bids 

"No Trump," go to "Two 
Clubs." 

3. Spades A J 3 Double after an original bid of 

Hearts K Q 85 "One No Trump." This bid 

Diamonds... K J 10 should be used very sparingly 

Clubs A 10 9 and principally as a defensiv e 

measure. 



Doubling 35 

EXAMPLES OF BIDDING AFTER PARTNER HAS 
DOUBLED ORIGINAL BID. 

1. Spades 9 53 3. Spades A Q9 8 4 

Hearts K J 7 3 Hearts 7 2 

Diamonds... 4 2 Diamonds... J 10 4 2 

Clubs A 10 5 4 Clubs 5 3 

If partner has doubled the original If partner has doubled the original 

bid of "Spades," this hand bid of "One Heart" this hand 

should be bid "Two Hearts," should bid "One Spade." Even 

the major suit, rather than if adversaries bid "Two Hearts" 

"Two Clubs." this hand is strong enough to 

bid "Two Spades." 

2. Spades 8 7 2 

Hearts J 10 9 7 5 4. Spades 8 5 3 

Diamonds... Q 92 Hearts Q J 10 9 3 

Clubs J 5 Diamonds ... A 9 75 

If partner has doubled the original Clubs 2 

bid of Hearts and there has been If partner has doubled the original 

no intervening bid, this hand bid of No Trump, this hand 

must be bid "One No Trump." should be bid "Two Hearts." 

5. Spades Q 6 5 4 

Hearts 9 8 7 

Diamonds ... 1043 

Clubs '. . 8 6 5 

If partner has doubled the original 
bid of No Trump, this hand 
must be bid "Two Spades." 

The doubler, when he has forced his partner to 
a bid by his double, should be very careful about 
raising the bid, because his partner may not have 
a high card in his hand. He must realize the dif- 
ference between a bid made voluntarily, even 
though secondarily, and a bid that has been forced 
to take him out of his double. When the bid 
doubled is that of a No Trump, the doubler 
should never help his partner, because he should 
know that his partner may have been compelled 
to bid more than the strength of his hand war- 



36 The Game of Auction Bridge 

rants, because of the double. If the bid doubled 
is a trump declaration, it is sometimes permissible 
to help the partner, but only when the doubler 
has a particularly strong hand. 

In doubling, the score should be carefully 
taken into consideration. A double may be cor- 
rect at one score, when it would not be correct at 
another. The double is a better defensive meas- 
ure than it is an offensive one, especially the 
double of One No Trump. When the declarer 
has already some points to his credit, and there is 
danger that he will win the game, a double is a 
good bid. Also, if the doubler has some points to 
his credit on the score, and one or two tricks will 
give him the game, he should double if possible, 
in the hope of winning the necessary tricks on his 
partner's bid. But at a love score, if the adversary 
is not afraid that the declarers will make a frame, 
he should not be too free with doubling, unless he 
has a really strong hand. The doublers seldom 
win a frame, unless the doubler's partner holds a 
a hand which would warrant him in bidding with- 
out being forced by the double. 

The following is the defense against the double. 
When a bid of "One No Trump" has been 
doubled, the partner of the bidder invariably 
passes, unless he has good support for his part- 
ner's No Trump bid. In that case he will re- 
double, thus intimating to his partner that he 
need not be afraid to double the opponent's bid, 



Doubling 87 

if he possibly can. There is only one case in which 
he may, perhaps, make a bid after his partner's 
No Trump bid has been doubled, and before the 
bid has been changed, and that is when he holds 
a very weak hand with a six-card suit. He may 
bid then if he wishes. But it is ordinarily just 
as well not to bid until after the doubler's partner 
has bid. Then, of course, he should bid as he 
would usually. 

EXAMPLES OF BIDDING AFTER PARTNER'S BID OF 
"NO TRUMP" HAS BEEN DOUBLED. 

, c , , ' 2. Spades A Q J 8 7 

1- Spades A J 4 Hearts K 52 

Hearts K 10 2 Diamonds... 10 9 72 

Hearts Q 9 7 Clubs 6 

Clubs ■ • J p 8 5 3 _ After partner's bid of No Trump 

After partner s bid of No Trump has been doubled , pass . If 

has been doubled, redouble. fourth hand bids « Two Spades," 

double. If anything else is bid,_ 
then bid "Two Spades." 

3. Spades Q 10 9 7 5 4 

Hearts 2 

Diamonds... J 10 9 8 

Clubs 7 3 

After partner's No Trump bid 

has been doubled, this is a good 

"Two Spades" bid, as it may 

prevent bidding by the fourth 

hand and still show partner 

a suit. 

If the double has been that of a trump declara- 
tion, it is wise to raise the bid immediately before 
the partner of the doubler has the opportunity to 
show his long suit. It is well to bear in mind that 
as the double of an original bid shows a desire to 



■38 The Game of Auction Bridge 

have the hand played in some suit other than that 
originally bid, either of the adversaries should not 
be afraid to bid the doubled suit. But, of course, 
one must never forget that there is a fairly strong 
hand held by an adversary, and it is not always 
good play to make too high a bid which would 
probably be doubled legitimately. 

EXAMPLES OF BIDDING AFTER PARTNER'S BID OF 
A TRUMP SUIT HAS BEEN DOUBLED. 

1. Spades Q J 92 2. Spades 10 

Hearts 10 7 3 Hearts K 9 764 

Diamonds... A Q 9 Diamonds... Q J 8 

Clubs Q 10 2 Clubs Q 763 

After partner's bid of "One After partner's bid of "One 
Spade" has been doubled, the Heart" has been doubled, the 

best bid is "Two Spades." best bid is "Two Hearts." 



Leads 



LEADS. 

The object of the leader should be to make as 
many tricks as possible with his hand, as well as 
to give as much information as he can to his part- 
ner. 

1. (a) In a No Trump declaration, when the 
leader's partner has not shown strength in a suit 
by making a bid, the leader should lead from his 
longest suit. In a No Trump declaration, his 
high cards are almost always certain to make 
tricks, but this is also true of the high cards of 
his opponents. If, however, the leader can force 
out high cards held by the adversaries, in the lead- 
er's longest suit then eventually his low cards will 
become the highest cards of that suit, and since 
they cannot be trumped, these low cards may 
make tricks. In the longest suit, the correct 
cards to be led are as follow: 



From Ace, King, Queen * xxxx the Ace. 

From Ace, King * xxxxx the Ace. 

From Ace, King, Queen and others the Ace or King. 

From a suit headed by a sequence (succession) of 3 or more, 
the top of the sequence. 

From 3 Honors not in sequence, the middle Honor, unless hold- 
ing King, Queen, Ten, when the King should be led. 

In all other cases the 4th best. 

* The x marks each indicate cards below the ten. 



JfO The Game of Auction Bridge 

(b) When the leader holds the Ace, King, 
Queen, or Ace, King, Jack in a suit that is not 
his longest, it is proper to lead the King of that 
suit first to inform his partner of such strength, 
and then to start his longest suit as mentioned be- 
fore. But he will not open his longest suit if he 
sees that dummy has as many or more cards in 
that suit as he has himself, including those cards 
which will make tricks if the suit is led. 

( c ) If the partner has bid a suit, the best lead is 
usually the highest of the suit the partner has bid, 
unless the leader holds four cards in the suit, 
when the fourth best is the proper lead. If the 
leader has a long, strong suit of his own, and a 
card of entry, that is, a card with which to take a 
trick in another suit, he should lead his own long, 
strong suit instead of his partner's suit. This may 
be rather a dangerous play, however, and in the 
majority of cases it is advisable only when the 
suit is particularly strong, such as King, Queen, 
Jack, and others, or Ace, King, and others, and 
so forth. 

2. (a) Against a trump declaration where the 
partner has not declared a suit, the correct lead is 
from the strongest suit. In such a declaration, it 
is improbable that the adversaries' long suit can 
ever be good for tricks, because the declarer will 
undoubtedly be able to trump it. The object, 
therefore, should be to make as many high cards 



Leads Jfl 



as possible in each suit. The leads are as follow : 

From Ace and King only the Ace. 

From, Ace, King, Queen and others the King. 

From Ace, King and others the King. 

From sequence of 2 or more the top of sequence. 

From Ace and 4 or more others the Ace. 

From any other Honor and others the 4th best or a small 

card. 

The lead of a singlet on is permissible with no strong suit, and 
three or four small trumps. 

(b) The exception to the rule of leading from 
the strongest suit is when the strongest suit con- 
tains the Ace and Queen or the King and Jack, or 
when that suit is the trump. In that case, the lead 
should be from the next strongest suit. The rea- 
son for not leading from an Ace and Queen suit 
is that until the King has been located, the lead 
of that suit may lose a trick. For if the King is 
to the right of the Ace and Queen, and the lead 
comes through the King to the Ace and Queen, 
the latter must make both tricks, but if the leader 
himself leads from the Ace and Queen, he can 
only make one of them, because the King will 
take either the first or second trick. The same 
argument applies against the lead from the King 
and Jack, in order that the Queen may not make 
a trick when held to the right of the King and 
Jack. 

(c) Against a trump declaration, if the part- 
ner has bid, the leader should play the highest of 
his partner's suit, unless he holds a suit headed by 



The Game of Auction Bridge 



the Ace and King, when the King should be led 
before leading the partner's suit. It is important 
to show so strong a suit as one headed by an Ace 
and King, for he may never have the opportunity 
again of showing his own strength. 



General Play with Dummy J/.3 



GENERAL PLAY WITH DUMMY. 

The play of the combined hands is thought out 
after the first card has been played and the 
dummy's hand has been laid on the table. It can 
then be seen what the adversaries hold against the 
declaration, even though it is impossible to know 
in which of the hands the important cards are be- 
ing held. (The proper method also may be gen- 
erally planned at the same time. ) It is advisable 
to keep to the method of play originally planned, 
unless it is evident that the cards are totally dif- \^ 
ferently placed than was calculated or so badly 
distributed as to compel a change in the play of 
the hand. But it cannot be emphasized too 
strongly that there can be no play worse than that 
of simply taking the tricks that can be plainly 
seen to be tricks, and to drift along with no defi- 
nite plan. The chief objective, both in trump and 
No Trump games, is to make the low cards good 
for tricks; the high cards usually take care of 
themselves. The declarer, therefore, should not 
be in too great a hurry to play his high cards. 
Since the high cards of his adversaries must ordi- 
narily take tricks, he should be willing to give 
them these tricks early in the game, when, by so 
doing, his own low cards in those suits will be- 
come high and take tricks later. This method of 



The Game of Auction Bridge 



play is called establishing a suit, and it is an im- 
portant method in the playing of a hand. 

In a trump declaration, in order that a suit 
may be established so that it will not be trumped 
by the opponents, the proper play is first to de- 
prive the adversaries of their trumps, or, at least 
to play them until the only trump left in the ad- 
versaries' hand is the highest one, which would 
take a trick in any case. After that, the play 
should be to establish the longest suit in the com- 
bined hands, giving to the opponents the tricks 
which they must take, in order that the low cards 
in that suit may become the high cards. As the 
adversaries will then have no more trumps, these 
low cards will take tricks. 

As, ordinarily, the declarer and dummy have 
the majority of the trumps at the opening of the 
game, the declarer should still have some trumps 
left, after exhausting his adversaries', and he can 
thus prevent his adversaries from establishing 
their low cards. 

It sometimes happens, however, that the ad- 
versaries have as many trumps as the declarer, 
and also that there is no long suit to establish. 
In such cases, if there is a short suit in dummy's 
hand, and some trumps, it may be better not to 
play trumps at all, but first to exhaust the dummy 
of that short suit, and then use the trumps in 
dummy's hand with which to trump that suit. Or, 



General Play with Dummy Jf.5 

if the short suit in the declarer's hand is different 
from the short suit in the dummy, the best method 
may be to exhaust these short suits in each hand 
and try to take tricks with the trumps separately. 
This is commonly known as "cross ruffing." 
The reason for not playing trumps, however, is 
that the trumps in dummy's hand and not the 
trumps in the declarer's should be used for ruff- 
ing. The trumps held by the declarer will, 
probably take tricks in any case. 

This, it should be realized, is a much more dan- 
gerous method than the former. In the first place, 
the adversaries, seeing the purpose of the declarer, 
may, when on the lead, lead trumps themselves to 
prevent dummy from ruffing, and in the second 
place, the hand playing after the trumping hand 
may also be short in the same suit and will trump 
higher, thus changing the entire play. Therefore, 
if there is a choice between the two plans, the bet- 
ter by far is the first, namely, exhaust the oppo> 
nents' trumps and then establish the longest suit. 
The cross ruff is to be used only in cases of neces- 
sity. 

In a No Trump declaration the two most im- 
portant objects are (1) to "block" your oppo- 
nents' longest suit, and (2) to establish your own 
suit. To "block" a suit means to prevent the 
adversaries from making tricks in a suit which 
has been established. The simplest way to do 
this is not to take the first trick that can be taken, 



4-6 The Game of Auction Bridge 

if it is the only trick that can be made in that suit. 
For example, if declarer holds the Ace and two 
small cards in the suit led, and dummy has only 
low cards in the suit, the better play usually is 
not to make the Ace until the third lead, or until 
the leader's partner shows he has no more cards 
in that suit. 

If, by this method, the declarer can prevent 
the holder of the winning cards from taking the 
lead, the remaining cards in that established suit, 
held by one adversary cannot be made, and no 
matter how often the other adversary takes a 
trick he will have none of the suit left to return 
to his partner. The suit is, therefore, "blocked." 
It is often desirable, even when holding both Ace 
and King in the suit led, not to take the first trick, 
but to wait until the suit is played the second time. 

As in a trump declaration, so in a No Trump 
declaration, it is advisable to give to the adver- 
saries the tricks they must make and not to take 
merely the obvious tricks. Keep playing the 
longest suit in the combined hands as long as 
there is a reasonable chance to make tricks with 
the low cards in that suit. Avoid doing this only 
when you see that you will give the opponents a 
trick and, their suit being already established, 
they will make too many tricks in their suit. 



Choice of Suit to Be Established J/.7 



CHOICE OF SUIT TO BE 
ESTABLISHED. 

It very often occurs that a choice must be made 
as to which of two suits of equal length should 
be established. In making such a choice the fol- 
lowing suggestions will prove helpful: 

The suit with the higher cards in the combined 
hands should be tried first. 

If two suits of equal length are also of equal 
strength, choose the one that is more unevenly 
divided between the two hands. That is to say, 
if one suit is held three in one hand and five in the 
other, and the other suit is held four in each hand, 
establish the suit which is held three in one hand 
and five in the other. 

If the highest cards in the combined hands are 
in unbroken sequence in one suit, and in the other 
suit there are cards missing, the suit to be selected 
is the unbroken suit, even if the highest cards in 
that suit are not quite as high as those in the bro- 
ken suit. For example: 

Dummy holds Diamonds Q 10 2 Clubs A J 9 6 2 

Declarer holds Diamonds K J 8 5 3 Clubs Q 7 3 

The suit to be established is the Diamond one. 

Dummy holds Diamonds 10 3 2 Clubs A 10 6 5 4 

Declarer holds Diamonds Q J9 74 Clubs 8 73 

The suit to be established is the Diamond one. 



Jf8 The Game of Auction Bridge 

It is also important to see that there are cards 
of entry in the same hand as the one which holds 
the long suit to be established. It would be use- 
less to establish a suit if, after it has been estab- 
lished, the declarer cannot get the lead into the 
hand holding the remaining high cards of that 
suit. For example: 

Dummy holds Spades. . . .8 5 3 Hearts 10 2 

Diamonds Q J 10 8 2 Clubs 8 4 3 

Declarer hclds Spades A J 10 Hearts A J 3 

Diamonds K 9 Clubs K Q 9 6 5 

In a No Trump, when the declarer takes his first trick, he 
should try to establish the Clubs, not the Diamonds. If he 
tries tre D'amond suit, and the Ace is played on the first round, 
the suit is established, but if the adversary with the Ace does 
not take the Ace until the declarer has no more Diamonds, the 
good Diamonds in dummy's hand can never take tricks, as the 
declarer cannct put dummy into the lead to lead them. 

Different methods are employed in the man- 
agement of different suits. In playing an un- 
broken suit (high cards in sequence in the com- 
bined hands), if the declarer expects to finish 
with the suit as quickly as possible, the proper 
method is to play the high cards in that suit from 
the shorter of the two hands, and the low cards 
from the longer. For example, if the dummy 
holds Ace x x x x and the declarer holds King, 
Queen x, the proper play is the King from de- 
clarer, then Queen, then the small card. If the 
lead is from dummy, dummy should lead a small 
card to the King, Queen, etc. In this way the 
suit can be cleared without blocking and the en- 
tire suit played with no delay. In the case of a 



Choice of Suit to Be Established Jf.9 

suit which is broken and where high cards are 
missing, it is usually necessary to take a finesse, 
one of the most important and interesting opera- 
tions in the play of Auction. 



50 The Game of Auction Bridge 



FINESSING. 

A finesse is an attempt to take a trick with a 
card which is not the highest card in the suit, or 
it is an attempt to force the highest card of a suit 
with a card not next to it in value. It is attempted 
by playing (not leading) a card not the highest 
in the combined hands and with such card trying 
to take the trick. It is also attempted by leading 
a card and trying to take a trick with a card lower 
than a higher card in that suit held by the ad- 
versary. It may also be used when the adversaries 
hold the highest card in the suit. In this case it 
is an attempt to force such high card, without 
sacrificing the highest card in the combined hands 
of declarer and dummy. When a player holds 
a tenace, and plays the lower instead of the higher 
card in it, he is taking a finesse. A tenace in a 
suit is a combination of two cards not in sequence, 
where the one card which completes the sequence 
is missing, such as the Ace and Queen when the 
King is missing, or the King and Jack when the 
Queen is missing. 

The simplest finesse is when the declarer holds 
Ace and Queen of one suit in his hand. He leads 
to that combination from dummy, and after sec- 
ond hand has played a small card he plays the 



Finessing 51 

Queen to the trick, instead of the Ace. If second 
hand has the King, the Queen will take the trick, 
and, of course, the Ace will also take a trick. If 
the fourth hand holds the King, it will naturally 
take the trick, but no harm will have been done, 
for if the Ace had taken the first trick the King 
would surely have taken the second when that 
suit was next played. It simply means that the 
King has made the first instead of the second 
trick in the suit. But if the King had been in 
the second hand, two tricks would have been made 
by the Ace and Queen instead of only one. 
Therefore, a finesse is usually a chance of making 
an extra trick and must be taken. 

It is important to remember that the lead must 
come from the weaker hand up to the stronger, 
and that a finesse can be taken for any missing 
card, no matter how low. For example, with the 
Ace, King, Jack, a finesse can be taken for the 
Queen by leading up to the above combination 
and playing the Jack. Or, holding the King, 
Queen, 10, there* is an opportunity to finesse for 
the Jack, etc. 

If the Ace is in one hand and the Queen in the 
other, there is no finesse possible, unless the Jack 
also is in one of the two hands. It is never pos- 
sible to accomplish a finesse by leading one high 
card unless there is another card of that suit in 
sequence in one of the combined hands. 



The Game of Auction Bridge 



Dummy holds Q 6 4 

Declarer holds A 7 3 

Dummy should lead a small card (not the Queen) to the 
Ace, and then declarer should lead a small card back to the 
Queen. No finesse to be taken. 

Dummy holds Q 6 4 

Declarer holds A J 9 

A finesse can now be taken by dummy either leading the 
Queen, and if S3cond hand plays small declarer also playing 
small, or by dummy leading a small card and declarer playing 
the Jack. In almost every case the correct lead is the small card, 
not the Queen. 

It must be also remembered that strength 
means the highest card in the hands, so that 
the Ace is stronger than the Queen, Jack, 
10 in one hand, and the lead, therefore,, must be 
the Queen up to the Ace. 

A double finesse is taken when two high cards 
instead of one are missing. If one hand holds the 
Ace, Queen and 10 of a suit, missing both the 
King and Jack, and when the suit has been led 
the 10 is played, either with the hope of taking the 
trick with the 10 or forcing the King, such play 
is called a double finesse. Or, if the King and 
Queen are the missing cards, with declarer or 
dummy holding Ace, Jack, 10, a double finesse is 
taken by leading up to Ace, Jack, 10 and playing 
the 10. If the opponents hold the King and 
Queen it is obvious that one must make, so it will 
do no harm if the trick be given away at once. If 
the hand after the strong hand has either King or 
Queen, he will presumably take the trick, then 
with the one card gone, there is a simple finesse 



Finessing 53 

to be taken to the Ace and Jack for the other 
high card. In this manner, unless the adversary 
playing after the holder of the Ace, Jack, 10 
holds both King and Queen, only one of the ad- 
versaries' high cards will make, and the declarer 
will make two tricks, whereas if no finesse is tried 
the Ace alone would score, and the adversaries 
will make two tricks with the King and Queen 
separately. 



5Jf The Game of Auction Bridge 

GUIDES TO PLAYING 
FOR DECLARER 

The declarer should remember that the prim- 
ary object of his game is not so much the making 
of his contract as the winning of the game. 
Therefore, all his efforts should be concentrated 
on determining the possibility of accomplishing 
that purpose. If he decides that he has a chance, 
even if remote, he should take that chance. He 
should take it even if he may not make his con- 
tract and may lose a trick or two. On the other 
hand, if he is sure of winning his game, he must 
take no chance of losing it, no matter how tempt- 
ing the chance of making extra tricks may be. In 
other words, take all kinds of chances when neces- 
sary, but none where not necessary. 

The giving the lead into the hand of that ad- 
versary who will do the declarer least harm, is 
another point which the declarer must consider 
carefully. This will often mean to give away a 
trick with a low card, or to allow one of the ad- 
versaries to take a trick, which the declarer or his 
dummy could have taken, in order to prevent the 
other adversary from taking the succeeding trick. 
For example: the declarer holds the King and 
one in a suit and knows that the opponent (A) 
back of him holds the Ace. He will not want 
B (player to his right) to take a trick and lead 
through his King. Therefore, if he leads another 
suit from dummy, in which he cannot make every 



Guides to Playing for Declarer 



55 



trick, he very often can just cover the card which 
B plays, without playing the highest card of that 
suit, even if he has it. By doing this, he prevents 
B from coming to the lead in that suit and play- 
ing through his King. In other words, he does 
not relinquish command (or the high cards) of 
the suit until he knows that B cannot take a trick 
in it. This is illustrated by the following. (In 
all illustrations Z is the declarer and Y the 
dummy) : 

Spades K Q 5 4 

Hearts Q 8 5 3 

Diamonds ... 8 65 

Clubs 4 3 



Spades J 10 8 

Hearts K J 9 

Diamonds. . . A 10 3 
Clubs Q J 




Spades 9 

Hearts 10 7 6 4 

Diamonds... Q J 9 7 2 

Clubs K 8 5 



Spades A 6 2 

Hearts A 2 

Diamonds . . . K 4 

Clubs A 10 9 7 6 2 

Contract is One No Trump, A leading Spade 7. 

1st trick Spades 7-Q-9-2. 

2nd trick Clubs 4-5-6-J. Z's object is to prevent B from 
taking a trick so Diamonds cannot be led through his King. 
(If B leads Diamonds, Z's King is caught and the adversaries 
make 5 tricks in Diamonds. If A leads Diamonds, Z's King 
must score). He therefore plays a small card, and puts A in 
the lead. 

3rd trick Spade J — Spade K— Heart 4 — Spade 6. 

4th trick Clubs 3-8-10-Q. Same object as in trick 2. 

Now as soon as Z takes the next trick, all his Clubs will 
make tricks, for the King must fall upon the Ace, and B never 
is able to lead Diamonds. 

In the play of a suit, it is usually good play, 
where a trick must be lost, to lose this trick im- 



56 



The Game of Auction Bridge 



mediately. By this method the command of the 
suit is kept, in case it is found out afterwards that 
one of the adversaries has as many as or more 
tricks in that suit than the player himself, and he 
decides not to continue to play it. If the suit 
consists of the Ace, King and three or four small 
cards in one hand, and only two small cards in the 
other, the proper play, in a No Trump, would be 
to give away the first trick in that suit, because 
one trick must be given up eventually. When the 
declarer next takes the lead and leads this suit, 
should he find all the remaining cards in that suit 
massed in one hand, he can then determine wheth- 
er to continue with the suit or not. For example, 
take the following hand: 

Spades K Q 7 3 

Hearts J 6 3 

Diamonds . . . K 9 5 4 

Clubs 4 2 



Spades A 9 8 5 2 

Hearts 10 8 5 4 

Diamonds ... 732 
Clubs J 




Spades J 10 

Hearts A 9 7 

Diamonds ... J 86 

Clubs Q 10 9 7 3 



Spades 6 4 

Hearts K Q 2 

Diamonds... A Q 10 

Clubs A K 8 6 5 

No Trump. A leads Spade 5. 

1st trick Spades 5-Q-10-4. 

2nd trick Clubs 2-3-8- J. Z, knowing that he must give up 
at least one Club trick, loses it at once. 

3rd trick Spades 2-K-J-6. 

4th trick Clubs 4-7-K-Diamond 2. As soon as A discards, 
Z can place every missing Club in B's hand, and realizes that 
if he continues with them B will make two more Club tricks, 
which cannot happen while Z still holds the high Club. He 
therefore discontinues Clubs, and plays first the Diamonds and 
then the Hearts. 



Guides to Playing for Declarer 57 

Another reason for this method of play is seen 
when the missing cards are evenly divided and 
the declarer holds the short suit of two, while the 
dummy has five or six, when the declarer takes 
the next trick he will still have another card of 
that suit to lead, and it will not be necessary to 
use one of dummy's entry cards in order to have 
the suit led again ; nor will it matter if dummy has 
no entry card whatever. But if dummy has no 
entry card, and declarer has played the Ace and 
King and another in order to establish the suit, 
the suit is blocked, for the declarer has no more 
of that suit to lead. For example: 

Spades 4 

Hearts 4 3 2 

Diamonds ... J 6 

Clubs A K 8 7 5 3 



Spades Q 7 6 

Hearts K J 10 9 

Diamonds ... 5 4 2 

Clubs Q 10 




Spades A 10 9 8 

Hearts 8 6 5 

Diamonds . . . K Q 8 
Clubs J 9 ft 



Spades K J 5 3 

Hearts A Q 

Diamonds... A 10 9 7 3 

Clubs 4 2 

No Trump, A leads Heart J. 

1st trick, Hearts J-2-6-Q. 

2nd trick, Clubs 2-10-3-6. Z, knowing that he must lose at 
least one Club trick, gives it up while he still has a Club left. 
Now when A leads another Heart and Z takes the trick with 
Heart Ace, he can lead his Club 4, take it in Y's hand with 
the Ace, lead the King, and when all the Clubs that are in 
adversaries' hands have fallen, all the remaining Clubs are good 
for tricks, and Y takes in 5 Club tricks. If Z had, however, 
taken the 2nd trick with Club Ace, led the King and then 
another Club to establish the Club suit, when Z came to the 
trick with his Heart Ace he would have had no Club to return, 
and Y could have made no more Club tricks. 



58 The Game of Auction Bridge 

It is important to take note of any signals 
which the opponents give. Some players are so 
intent upon playing their own hands that they 
neglect these certain indications of where par- 
ticular cards are placed. The signals made are, 
of course, for the purpose of giving information 
to the partner, but, at the, same time, they also 
give the same information to the declarer if he 
is observant enough to note them. It is true that 
now and again wrong information is purposely 
given in order to mislead the declarer, but this 
occurs so seldom that it need not be noticed. 

It is to be impressed upon the declarer that, ex- 
cept when cross ruffing, it is very bad play to lead 
a card from dummy for the declarer himself to 
trump, unless it is for the purpose of getting the 
lead into his hand, or in order to establish the suit 
in dummy's hand. With no such purpose in his 
mind, it is a sign that the player has arrived at 
no definite plan of play, and he is simply taking 
tricks as he sees them, regardless that he is 
weakening his hand thereby for the rest of the 
game. Such play is purposeless, since it merely 
takes tricks at an earlier stage of the game which 
are certain to be taken later, and it weakens the 
trump hand. This is a very dangerous procedure, 
for when too weakened, the declarer will be en- 
tirely exhausted of his trumps, and the cards of 
the adversaries will then be free to make tricks, 
as in a No Trump. Length in trumps is a vital 
help to any hand, both as an offense and a defense, 



Guides to Playing for Declarer 



59 



and it is very dangerous to let go the last trump 
unless absolutely necessary. 

On the other hand, if the dummy can make his 
trumps separately, without the risk of the adver- 
saries making theirs, it is good play to use them 
to ruff with before playing trumps. But if there 
is any danger of the adversaries ruffing any suit, 
before the declarer can exhaust the trumps, it is 
better not to take that chance, unless it is the only 
way of winning the game. This is illustrated by 
the following: 



Spades K J 9 

Hearts Q 5 3 

Diamonds ... J 5 2 

Clubs A 7 5 4 



Spades A Q 7 

Hearts 10 9 6 4 

Diamonds ... 9 43 

Clubs K Q 8 




Spades 10 8 6 3 2 

Hearts 2 

Diamonds ... A 7 

Clubs J 10 9 4 2 



Spades 5 4 

Hearts A K J 5 4 

Diamonds... K Q 10 8 6 

Clubs 3 

Hearts are Trumps. 1st trick Clubs K-A-2-3. 

It is particularly bad play for Y now to lead another Club 
merely in order to have Z trump it and make a trick. If this 
is done, Z is weakened in trumps, and with A having now as 
many trumps as Z, he will be required to play four round of 
trumps before exhausting his adversaries' and when the latter 
comes to the trick with the Diamond Ace, they can make all 
their Clubs tricks, as Z has no more trumps with which to 
trump them. If, however, Z immediately leads four rounds of 
trump, exhausting all his adversaries' trumps, and then leads 
the Diamonds, he will still have a trump in reserve. If A 
then leads Clubs, Z can ruff, and make all his Diamond tricks. 



60 



The Game of Auction Bridge 



Spades K J 9 4 

Hearts 7 5 3 

Diamonds . . K 7 6 5 2 

Clubs 3 



Spades A Q 7 

Hearts 10 9 6 4 

Diamonds . . . Q 4 3 

Clubs K Q 8 




Spades... 10 6 3 2 
Hearts .... 2 
Diamonds. J 9 
Clubs J 10 9 



5 4 2 



Spades 8 5 

Hearts A K Q J 8 

Diamonds... A 10 8 

Clubs A 7 6 

Hearts are trumps. 1st trick Clubs K-3-2-A. 

Now Z's correct play is to lead another Club, and trump it 
in dummy's hand, then a small Diamond back to Z's Ace, and 
the last small Club, using another trump of Y's. Then lead 
a trump from dummy, exhaust the adversaries' trumps and 
try to establish the Diamond suit. If trumps are played fir^t, 
Y's trumps also will be exhausted, and when the adversaries 
take a Diamond trick, as they must, they can make two Club 
tricks. 

Certain combinations frequently arise which 
it is well to remember, and to know how to play. 
When a low card is led, and the second hand, 
whether declarer or dummy, has but two to the 
King, while his partner has no high card in the 
suit led, the correct play is the King, because this 
is the only opportunity to take a trick with it. 
Take the case where dummy has King and 6 of a 
suit, and the declarer has 7, 5, 3, 2 of the suit. If 
a small card is led, and dummy plays the 6, the 
third hand need play only the Jack or Queen to 
take the trick, and then, on the next round, the 
King will fall to the Ace, leaving the declarer 
with no tricks in that suit. If, however, dummy, 



Guides to Playing for Declarer 61 

as second player, plays the King, then, unless 
third hand has the Ace, the King will take the 
trick. If third hand has the Ace, and takes the 
trick, then no trick could have been made in the 
suit, and no loss has been sustained. 

In a trump declaration, with only one or two 
small cards in the fourth hand, if the second hand 
holds the King, the King should often be played 
at once to the lead of a small card. But this does 
not apply to a No Trump declaration. 

When the second hand holds two cards to the 
Queen, and the fourth hand holds the Ace and 
others, the correct play for the second hand is 
usually the Queen. In a trump declaration (not 
a No Trump), when the second hand holds the 
Queen and low cards, and the fourth hand holds 
the Ace and a small card, the Queen may be 
played by the second hand. 

When the second hand holds a sequence, and 
the fourth hand does not hold the card which 
completes the sequence, one of the sequence 
should be played, provided, of course, that it is 
higher than the card led, unless the fourth hand 
holds a singleton higher than the sequence. If, 
for example, a small card is led, and dummy holds 
the Queen, Jack, and small cards, if the declarer 
holds neither the ten, nor King, nor the Ace 
alone, the correct play is the Queen or Jack. 



The Game of Auction Bridge 



When the second hand holds the Ace and 
others, and the fourth hand holds the Queen and 
others, the proper play for the second hand is a 
small card, for then the declarer must make two 
tricks in the suit, even though the King takes the 
first trick. The only occasion when it is justifiable 
to play the Ace, is when the declarer cannot 
afford to permit his adversary to be on the lead, 
either because the card led may have been a 
singleton, or, to avoid the lead of another suit 
through his hand. 



Discarding for Declarer 63 



DISCARDING FOR DECLARER 



In a trump declaration, when the declarer has 
an opportunity to discard, such discard should 
increase the trick-taking probabilities of the com- 
bined hands. Otherwise it should not be used. If 
it is possible to discard all the cards of a suit held 
from the hand which still holds trumps, this 
should be done. With both hands holding 
trumps, it is also desirable to shorten a suit as 
much as possible, but not the suit in which the 
other hand is short. For when no suit can be 
established, a cross ruff may be tried when the 
suits have been shortened sufficiently. If there 
are no trumps in the discarding hand, it is impor- 
tant for it to hold protection in the suits, when 
possible, that is to say, to keep enough cards in 
the suit to prevent the adversaries from clearing 
it, such as K x, Q x x, J x x x, etc. If the declarer 
has the choice of trumping from either hand it 
is usually better to trump from the hand holding 
the smaller number of trumps, and to discard 
from the hand holding the larger number of 
trumps ; unless, of course, when it is advisable to 
discard a particular card from the hand with the 
fewer trumps, or if the declarer finds it best to 
lead from the other hand. 



6Jf. The Game of Auction Bridge 

When discarding in a No Trump, the declarer 
should by all means keep the different suits 
guarded, and not keep length in the same suit 
in both hands. Keep the established suit intact 
as long as possible, but usually it is unnecessary 
to keep more than one or two in the shorter suit. 
When the declarer can do so, he should shorten 
different suits in each hand, being careful to hold 
protection in the suits as long as possible. 



Partners' Play Against Declarer 65 



PARTNERS' PLAY AGAINST 
DECLARER 

It is important to remember that the partners 
playing against the declarer and dummy are on 
the defensive, and their chief object, under ordi- 
nary circumstances, is to prevent their adver- 
saries from winning the game. They should take 
no chance of giving the declarer the game, no 
matter how tempting it may be, if they can posi- 
tively save the game. It is absolutely necessary, 
therefore, to note the score and bear in mind the 
exact number of tricks to be made by them in 
order to keep the declarer from winning the 
game, and to plan the play accordingly. 

NO TRUMPS. 

Against a No Trump declaration, the first ob- 
ject is to establish your long suit. It is usually 
advisable to keep on playing the same suit each 
time either the original leader or his partner is in 
the lead, unless it is seen that the suit cannot pos- 
sibly be established, or there is a probability of 
establishing some other suit. If, for example, the 
adversaries see that the declarer has so many 
tricks in their suit that they can never lead it often 
enough to exhaust those trick-making cards, and 
one of the partners has shown fair strength in an- 



66 The Game of Auction Bridge 

other suit, it would be wise to start this other 
suit. Or, if the declarer or dummy has more of 
the suit originally led than the leader, it is usually 
good play to discontinue leading that suit. 

The lead of the fourth-best in a No Trump 
is made in order to enable the partner to apply 
the "Rule of Eleven." The application of this 
rule is as follows: Deduct "the pip" of the card 
led from the number eleven and the remainder 
gives the number of cards higher than the one led, 
in the three other hands. By such a lead, the third 
hand, seeing dummy's and his own cards, is able 
to calculate how many cards higher than the one 
led are in the declarer's hand, so that he knows 
what card to play as third hand. For example: 
The leader plays the seven of a suit. Dummy 
shows Queen, Eight, and Five, and third hand 
(the leader's partner) holds Ace, Ten and Four. 
The third hand, before playing, deducts the num- 
ber seven from eleven, which leaves four; he 
knows then that there are in the three remaining 
hands four cards higher than the one led, and as 
he can account for them all in the dummy's and his 
own hands, he knows that the declarer, whose 
hand he does not see, has no card higher than the 
seven. Therefore, if dummy plays the Eight, he 
need only play the Ten in order to take the trick. 

"Unblocking" is a matter of great importance. 
To "unblock" means to discard or play the high 
cards of your partner's suit, so that he may make 



Partners' Play Against Declarer 67 

tricks with all the cards he holds in that suit. 
Bearing in mind the rule to play the high cards of 
a short suit, and taking it for granted that the 
leader has more than the third hand, unless third 
hand knows differently, it is the duty of the third 
hand to play the high cards in that suit and keep 
the lowest. In other words, the last card he 
should play in the suit is the lowest. Even though 
a card higher than any he holds in that suit has 
already been played, he should play one of his 
higher cards, keeping his lowest, unless by so do- 
ing he would permit of an extra trick being made 
by dummy's hand. 

If, for example, the original leader leads the 
6, Dummy shows Ace, 4, 3, and third hand holds 
Queen, Jack, 2. Dummy plays low, third hand 
plays Jack, which declarer wins with the King. 
When the original leader gets on the lead again, 
he will lead another small card of the suit he 
originally led. If Dummy plays the Ace, the 
correct play for the third hand is the Queen. By 
doing so, he unblocks, and allows his partner to 
make the remaining tricks in the suit. If he had 
played the 2, the Queen which he still holds would 
block his partner's long suit, and the latter might 
not be able to get the lead again to make the re- 
maining tricks he has in it. This method of play 
is of value, not only for the purpose of unblock- 
ing, but also for the information it gives to his 
partner. In a No Trump, if the original lead is 
an Ace, it is the duty of third hand to put on his 



68 The Game of Auction Bridge 

highest card of that suit; if the King is led, this 
lead calls for his second highest. 

It is just as important to know how to block the 
declarer as to unblock for your partner. When 
you see that declarer is trying to establish the long 
suit in dummy's hand, and there is no positive 
entry card there, while you have only one sure 
trick in that long suit, do not take that trick until 
you are forced, or until you know that declarer 
has no more cards in that suit. If, for example, 
dummy holds K, Q, J, x x x in one suit, with no 
entry card, and you hold A x x you should not 
take the trick with your Ace at once, but wait un- 
til the suit is led a third time, unless it is obvious 
that declarer has no more of that suit to lead on 
the second round. If, however, dummy holds 
Q x x x x x, you hold A x and declarer leads 
the K, the correct play is to take the K at once, 
and hope that your partner will make another 
trick in the suit. For if the declarer has three, you 
have not enough cards with which to block the 
suit, while if he has only two, your partner has 
another trick in it, if you cover the K with your A. 

When dummy's long suit has been established, 
and there is a possible trick in his hand in some 
other suit, try to prevent it from making that 
trick. For example: Dummy has three estab- 
lished Clubs, and the Q, 7, 5 in Hearts, while you, 
back of dummy, hold the A, 8, 6 of Hearts. If 
declarer leads the K of Hearts, you should not 



Partners' Play Against Declarer 69 

take it, because by taking it the Q is established as 
an entry card for making the Clubs. Wait until 
the Q is played, and then the danger of making 
the three clubs has been avoided. 

PARTNERS' PLAY AGAINST DECLARER IN A TRUMP 
DECLARATION. 

Against a trump declaration the adversaries 
should try to make tricks with their high cards un- 
less by taking a chance they can block the suit 
which the declarer is trying to establish. When a 
King is played, the proper and best play is to take 
it with the Ace, unless it is clearly seen that such 
play will establish the entire suit for the declarer. 
In that case do not take the trick with the Ace, 
as you may possibly block the suit by holding it 
back. 

If dummy leads a low card, second hand hold- 
ing both low and high cards should usually play a 
low card except when holding A and K, K and Q, 
or Q and J, when the lowest of the sequence 
should be played. 

If dummy leads an Honor, second hand, if 
possible, usually plays a higher card (except an 
Ace). The exception to this rule is when the 
Honor led is one of a sequence and second hand 
has as many cards in the suit as dummy. Then, 
second hand should not cover until the last of the 
sequence has been led. For example : If dummy 



70 The Game of Auction Bridge 

holds Q x x and leads the Q, second hand, hold- 
ing the K should play it, but if dummy leads the 
Q from Q and J, and second hand holds the K, 
with small cards, he should not cover the Q, but 
should wait until the J is led, which is the last of 
the sequence, and should then cover it with the K. 

When the declarer leads a low card, second 
hand plays low if the dummy has any card higher 
than his highest. If the second hand holds a 
a sequence, then the lowest of the sequence 
should be played instead. If second hand holds a 
card just higher than the highest card in dummy's 
hand, he should play it, unless it be the Ace when 
the K is in the dummy's hand. Then, unless he 
needs that trick to save the game or to defeat the 
contract, or to take the lead, he plays a low card. 
This is particularly important if second hand 
holds A, J, x or A, 10 x, because if he plays the 
A, only low cards will fall to the trick, but if he 
waits until he is third or fourth, he must either 
capture the declarer's high card, or win the trick 
with a lower card, still holding the A for an- 
other trick. 

It is usually inadvisable to lead a suit which 
dummy can trump, when dummy holds but two 
or three small trumps. As a rule it is better to 
begin with a new suit, or if the leader is to the 
left of dummy, a small trump lead seldom hurts. 
The exceptions to leading a suit which dummy 



Partners' Play Against Declarer 71 

can trump are: (a) when the partner also can 
trump that suit and can trump higher than 
dummy, (b) when dummy has only high trumps 
which will make any time, (c) when the leader 
wants dummy to take the trick, so as to be on the 
lead, (d) when the dummy has so many trumps 
that it will be impossible to stop him from using 
them. On the other hand, it is seldom dangerous 
to lead a suit, which the declarer trumps, because 
he usually has enough trumps which must take 
tricks, and the more often he is compelled to use 
them the weaker will his hand become. So long 
as the declarer has command of the trumps, he 
has a tremendous advantage over the adversaries, 
but if it is possible to exhaust them, the play de- 
velopes into a No Trump game, and the adver- 
saries may be able to establish a suit of their own. 
The worst play is to lead a suit which both oppon- 
ents can trump, for then one can trump while the 
other can discard a worthless card, and thus gain 
a trick that would otherwise have been lost. 

Lead a suit which your partner trumps, if the 
player back of him is not also trumping that suit, 
or if fourth hand being dummy and also trump- 
ing has only small trumps. It is usually particu- 
larly good play to play a suit which your partner 
trumps when he plays after an adversary, because 
such lead either forces the opponent to play a 
high trump, or permits the partner to take a 
trick with a small one. This is illustrated by the 
following : 



72 The Game of Auction Bridge 



K 5 4 of Trumps | 
No Diamonds. £ 



Leader 



Dummy holds K 5 4 of trumps and no Diamonds. The leader 
knows that his partner also has no Diamonds. Therefore he should 
lead a Diamond. That will either force dummy to play the K, if 
he wants the trick, or if he plays a small trump, the leader's partner 
should win the trick with a small trump. 

PARTNERS' PLAY AGAINST EITHER TRUMPS OR NO 
TRUMPS. 

When the declarer leads an Honor, the second 
hand should, if he can, play a higher card, or 
"cover" it, unless by so doing he sees that the 
entire suit will be established for the declarer. 
For example: The declarer leads the Q, the sec- 
ond hand holding the K should usually play it. 
But if dummy holds the A, J, 10, 9, x, the second 
hand can see at once that playing the K will 
establish the rest of suit in dummy's hand. His 
"covering" then will do no good. Nor should 
he cover, if he sees that he can ultimately make 
a trick by not covering. For example: Second 
hand holds K x x x and dummy has only two 
(Ax). Second hand knows that if he does not 
cover the Q, he must eventually make a trick in 
that suit. He will, therefore, not cover the Q 
with his K. 

Do not start the long suit in dummy's hand, 
for by so doing you will establish that suit for 
the declarer, which is probably precisely what he 
wants. If the adversaries have high cards in that 
suit, and it is the suit the declarer is trving to 



Partners' Play Against Declarer 73 

establish, they will make in any case, and once 
established, the declarer will discard his losing 
cards in other suits, and the opponents will lose 
the high cards they hold in those other suits. 

If either of the adversaries is in the lead, and he 
has had no information from his partner as to 
what suit the partner would like led, and has no 
particular reason for leading any one suit, he 
must be guided almost entirely by dummy's 
hand. If dummy is to his right, the leader should 
lead up to the weakness in dummy. For then, 
if his partner has a high card in that suit, it can- 
not be captured, and unless the declarer plays a 
high card himself, third hand may be able to take 
the trick with a fairly low card. If the dummy is 
to his left, the leader should play through the 
strength in the dummy, so that his partner's high 
cards may not be captured by the declarer, which 
will happen if the other suits are led. 

For example: Hearts are trumps and dummy holds 

Diamonds. .. A Q 5 
Clubs 7 5 2 

If dummy is to the right of the leader, who has no choice as to 
the card he should lead, having only small cards in each suit, and 
his partner has shown no strength in either suit, he chooses the 
weaker suit, Clubs, and leads that. If his partner has a fairly 
high card in it, unless the declarer plays a higher card, which 
would be a certain trick in any case, the partner must make his 
high card or cards, whereas if the leader plays Diamonds, even if 
his partner has the King of that suit, it will be captured by the 
Ace and Queen back of it. 

Under the same circumstances, if dummy is to the left of the 
leader, his proper play is a Diamond. Then if his partner has 
the K, it must take either the first or second trick in Diamonds, 
whereas if a Club is led, unless the partner has certain tricks in it, 
his high cards will be caught by the declarer's high cards back 
of them. 



74- The Game of Auction Bridge 

When one of the adversaries holds a sequence 
in the suit led (not when he leads the suit him- 
self) the correct play is to play the lowest of the 
sequence. This is an important rule to remem- 
ber, because it gives valuable information to the 
partner, viz. : The lead of the highest card denies 
holding a card higher than it ; while the play of a 
high card denies having the card below it. For 
example: The leader leads a small card from 
K, 10 x x and dummy having had only low cards, 
his partner plays the Q, which the declarer wins 
with the A. The leader, not knowing where the 
J is, is afraid to lead from his K, 10, and will pre- 
fer to have the suit led to him. But if third hand 
had played the J, and this had forced the A, the 
leader would know that third hand holds the Q, 
as the declarer would surely have taken the trick 
with the Q, if he had held it. 

When one of the adversaries is the third hand 
to play, the leader having led a small card, and 
dummy having played a low card, his best play, 
usually, is his highest card, unless it be a sequence. 
When second hand, he plays low, because as his 
partner has still to play, he leaves it to that part- 
ner to try to overplay whatever the declarer plays. 
But, when he is third hand to play, he must leave 
nothing to his partner, and therefore his best 
chance to take the trick is by playing his highest 
card ( or in the event of a sequence, the lowest of 
the sequence) . 



Partners' Play Against Declarer 75 

Naturally, when third hand follows the dum- 
my, and he holds a tenace over a high card in 
dummy, he plays the lowest of his tenace, or the 
lowest of the sequence formed by his own and the 
dummy's hand combined, which will take the trick 
up to that point. 

Example: A small card is led; dummy holds Q, 7, 3 and third 
hand (leader's partner) holds K and J. If dummy plays a small 
card, third hand plays the J. Or if dummy has the Q, 10, x and 
third hand holds K, J, 9 and dummy plays a small card, third 
hand need only play the 9 which is the lowest of the sequence 
formed by his and dummy's hand together. 

When third hand plays after the dummy, he 
should not finesse against his partner except in a 
few instances: when holding Ace and Queen, of 
the suit led, unless King is in dummy's hand, the 
only play is the A, never the Q. Of course, when 
third hand follows the declarer he plays the lowest 
card which will take the trick, or if dummy has a 
card higher than his highest, he plays the lowest 
card which will force dummy's highest card. 

For example: A small card is led. Declarer plays small. 
Third hand seeing that dummy who has not yet played, holds no 
card higher than the J in the suit, and holding A and Q, naturally 
plays the Q. If the dummy holds A, 9 and x while third hand has 
K, 10, x, the latter plays the 10 which will force the A and the 
K then becomes high. 

The exceptions against the rule of third hand 
not finessing against his partner are usually 
these : 

(a) When dummy has either King or Queen 
and third hand has Ace and Jack, the best play 
usually is the Jack. The reason for this is that if 



76 The Game of Auction Bridge 

the leader has the missing high card, third hand's 
Jack will take the trick and he will still hold the 
Ace for another trick. If the declarer has the 
missing high card, and the third hand plays the 
Ace, such play permits both King and Queen to 
make separately, while if third hand keeps the 
Ace as against the high card in dummy, it may 
prevent that card from taking a separate trick. 

(b) When the Jack has been led (showing 
the 10) and dummy having the King or Queen 
does not cover, the third hand should also play low 
for the same reason given above. 

(c) When a low card has been led, and dum- 
my has Jack x x and third hand has King, 10, 
x, the best play is the 10 after a low card from 
dummy, as it usually prevents the Jack from 
scoring separately. This is especially the play in 
a No Trump game. 



Signals 77 



SIGNALS 

It must be remembered that the adversaries of 
the declarer are at a great disadvantage, because 
the latter is in a position to know with certainty 
what cards he and his dummy hold, and what his 
opponents hold, whereas the former cannot know 
with certainty which cards the declarer holds and 
which the partner holds. Therefore, as each card 
is played as much information as possible should 
be given to the partner by the play and each 
player should watch carefully his partner's cards 
as played, to see what information the latter is 
trying to signal. Of course, the cards as played 
give the same information to the declarer ; but it 
is usually more important to give correct informa- 
tion to the partner, than incorrect information to 
the declarer. Deceiving the declarer will often 
deceive the partner. 

The first kind of signal is playing a seven or a 
higher card either to a suit led, or in discarding. 
This is a sign of encouragement or strength. To 
play or discard a six or a lower card, is a sign of 
discouragement or weakness. So that, if on the 
first lead the third hand plays a small card it is 
a signal not to continue playing that suit, and to 
open another suit, unless the leader holds differ- 
ent cards than third hand can expect him to hold. 



78 The Game of Auction Bridge 

Even if the lead is a King from Ace and King 
x x, if third hand plays a low card, it is the 
leader's duty to stop playing that suit, unless he 
cannot lead from any other suit, or unless he holds 
possibly the Ace, King, Queen, which third hand 
cannot know, in which case he may continue with 
the suit. On the other hand, if third hand plays 
a high card, he is asking his partner to continue 
leading that suit. 

The same signals apply to discarding. If a 
seven or a higher card is discarded, the discarder 
is showing strength in that suit, and is asking his 
partner to play the highest card he has in that suit 
as soon as he is in the lead, unless he has an estab- 
lished suit to lead first. A six or lower shows 
weakness in that suit, and is a warning to the 
partner not to continue leading it. He will heed 
that warning except for a reason which he alone 
knows is good. If a discarder has the oppor- 
tunity of sloughing (discarding) twice, he may 
discard first a fairly low card and then a still 
lower one. This is known as an "echo," and is 
an indication of strength in the suit discarded. 
In this way it is almost always possible to show 
the partner just which suit should be led next. 
You show either strength in a suit, or weakness 
in other suits. By discarding low cards in two 
suits, the partner concludes strength in the other 
suit, and will lead that. 



Discarding for Partners 79 



DISCARDING FOR PARTNERS. 

No Trumps. 

By noting a partner's discards, it can easily 
be determined what suit should be kept guarded,, 
for it is important that the adversaries should 
keep all suits protected if possible. If one part- 
ner shows strength in one suit, it is unnecessary 
for the other to keep protection in it, and the lat- 
ter should then try to keep guards in the other 
suits if possible. If the one shows weakness in a 
certain suit, the other should concentrate on that 
suit particularly, and rely on his partner to pro- 
tect the others. 

It is important to keep as many cards as pos- 
sible in the same suit as that which dummy is 
holding, particularly if it is a long suit. Often 
al0xxor9xxx will protect a suit, if the 
partner holds a high card or two in it, and they 
should be kept. 

Third hand should try to keep at least two of 
his partner's suit, unless it is entirely established, 
when one is sufficient. He will do this in order to 
lead them when he comes on the lead. 

Do not discard all the cards of a suit held. 
When the declarer leads that suit, as he usually 
will, and sees that you have no card in it, he can 



80 The Game of Auction Bridge 

easily place all the missing cards in that suit in 
your partner's hand. This information should 
not be given him. 

Try to hold one small card with an Ace, un- 
less any other discard will either unguard a suit 
or give up a certain trick. 

Trumps. 

In discarding against a trump declaration, 
most of the rules governing the No Trump dis- 
cards apply equally well. In some cases, how- 
ever, where the discarder holds some trumps, it 
is wise to clear an entire suit, especially when his 
partner can come to the lead soon enough to lead 
that suit, and allow him to trump the discarded 
suit with a small trump. 



THE 

LAWS OF AUCTION 



AS ADOPTED BY 



THE WHIST CLUB 



TOGETHER WITH THE 



ETIQUETTE OF THE GAME 



COPYRIGHT 1920 



THE WHIST CLUB 

NEW YORK 



Printed by permission of The Whist Club 



82 



The Game of Auction Bridge 



CONTENTS TO LAWS OF AUCTION 



Page 

HOW PLAYED 83 

CARDS 83 

RANK OF CARDS 83 

RANK OF SUITS 83 

LEAD 83 

TRICK 84 

FOLLOWING SUIT 84 

WINNING THE TRICK ... 84 

ODD TRICKS 84 

TRICK VALUES 84 

HAND 85 

GAME 85 

RUBBER 85 

HONORS 85 

HONOR VALUES 86 

SLAMS 86 

SCORING 86 

FORMING TABLES 87 

ENTRY 87 

MEMBERS LEAVING 

TABLE 87 

PLAYERS LEAVING 

TABLE 88 

DRAWING FOR PARTNERS 

AND DEAL 88 

CUTTING OUT 88 

THE SHUFFLE 89 

THE CUT 89 

THE DEAL 89 

NEW DEAL (Compulsory) . . 90 

NEW DEAL (Optional) .... 90 

THE DECLARATION .... 91 

BID DEFINED 91 

HIGHER BID DEFINED... 91 

INSUFFICIENT BID 92 

BID OUT OF TURN 

DEFINED 92 

BID OUT OF TURN 

PENALIZED 92 

DOUBLE DEFINED 93 

REDOUBLE DEFINED 93 



Page 
IMPROPER DOUBLES 

AND REDOUBLES 93 

PASS DEFINED 94 

PASS OUT OF TURN 

DEFINED 94 

PASS OUT OF TURN 

PENALIZED 94 

ILLEGITAMATE DECLARA- 
TIONS 95 

DECLARING AND CHANG- 
ING 93 

REPEATED ERRORS 95 

CARD EXPOSED DURING 

DECLARATION 96 

CONTRACT AND DE- 
CLARER 96 

THE PLAY 97 

DUMMY 97 

DUMMY'S RIGHTS (Uncon- 
ditional) 97 

DUMMY'S RIGHTS (Condi- 
tional) 97 

DUMMY PENALIZED 98 

EXPOSED CARDS 98 

CALLING EXPOSED CARDS 99 
PLAY OF DECLARER AND 

DUMMY 99 

LEADS OUT OF TURN AND 
CARDS PLAYED IN ER- 
ROR 99 

RENOUNCE 101 

REVOKE PENALTY 101 

REVOKE DEFINITIONS ..101 

REVOKE AVOIDED 102 

CLAIMING AND CONCED- 
ING TRICKS 103 

PENALTIES AND CONSUL- 
TATION 104 

INFORMATION 104 

NEW CARDS 105 

THE ETIQUETTE OF AUC- 
TION 106 



The Laws of Auction 83 



THE LAWS OF AUCTION 

HOW PLAYED 

1. The game of Auction is played by four players., two 
against two playing as partners. Two partners constitute 
a side. 

CARDS 

2. Two packs 1 of cards having different backs are used. 
A correct pack contains four suits of thirteen cards each; 
one card of each denomination to a suit. A pack becomes 
imperfect when one or more cards are torn, soiled or other- 
wise so marked that they may be identified from their 
oacks. 

RANK OF CARDS 

3. In the play, Ace is high, then King, Queen, Jack, Ten, 
etc.; Deuce being lowest. In drawing cards, Ace is low, 
then Deuce, Trey, etc. ; King being highest. 

RANK OF SUITS 

4. In the declaration, 2 Spades are high, Hearts next, 
Diamonds next and Clubs lowest. In drawing cards, as 
between cards of equal denomination, Spades are low, 
Hearts next, Diamonds next, and Clubs highest. 

LEAD 

5. The player at the left of Declarer leads 3 to the first 
trick 3 and thereafter the winner of each trick leads to the 
next. 



1 The game may be played with one pack, legal provisions requiring two 
packs being suspended by consent. 

2 In the declaration, No Trump ranks above any suit. 

3 A player leads or plays by placing one of his cards face upward near the 
center of the table. 



8 If. The Game of Auction Bridge 



6. After the lead, each player in his turn to the left 
plays 4 a card. A trick consists of four cards thus played. 

FOLLOWING SUIT 

7. A player must follow suit, i. e., must play a card of 
the suit led if he have one. When leading, or when void 
of the suit led, he may play any card he holds. 5 

WINNING THE TRICK 

8. A trick is won for his side by the player who, (a) if 
the trick does not contain a trump, 6 plays the highest card 
of the suit led; or who (6) plays the highest trump, if the 
trick contain one or more trumps. A trick once turned and 
quitted 7 may not be looked at 8 until the end of the hand. 

ODD TRICKS 

9. Odd tricks are those won by Declarer in excess of six 
tricks. If Declarer fulfil his contract, his side counts the 
value of all odd tricks; otherwise nothing is counted in the 
trick score. 

TRICK VALUES 

10. Odd tricks count in the trick score as follows: 

With Clubs trumps, each counts 6 points. 

With Diamonds « « "7 

With Hearts " " " 8 

With Spades " " " 9 

With No Trump " "10 

Doubling doubles the above values ; redoubling multi- 
plies them by four. 



4 The first lead of a hand, when legally made, is called the initial lead. 

5 To "refuse" is to fail to follow suit. To "renounce" (Law 55) is to 
refuse when able to follow suit. See Law 56 for "revoke." 

6 As a result of the bidding (Law 30), the hand may be played without a. 
trump (». e., "No Trump") or with one of the four suits as the trump. Any 
trump is a winner as against any card of a plain (non-trump) suit. 

7 Footnote to Law 56 (a) defines "quitted." 

8 Law 61 (e) prescribes penalty. 



The Laws of Auction 85 



HAND 

11. A hand 9 begins with the cut 10 and ends when the 
last card is played to the thirteenth trick. 

GAME 

12. A game is won when one side has a trick score of 
thirty (30) or more points. A game may be completed in 
one hand or more; each hand is played out 11 whether or 
not during it the game be won. 



13. (a) A rubber begins with drawing for partners (Law 
22) or cutting out (Law 23) and is completed when one 
side has won two games. The side which has won two 
games adds a bonus of 250 points to its honor-score. The 
side having the greater number of total points 12 wins the 
rubber. 13 

(b) When a rubber is started with the agreement that 
the play shall terminate (i. e., no new hands shall com- 
mence) after a specific time, and the rubber is unfinished 
at that hour; the score is made up as it stands, 125 being 
added to the honor-score of the winners of a game. A 
hand if started must be played out. 

(c) If a rubber be started without any agreement as to 
its termination, and before its conclusion one player leave; 
or if, after such agreement, a player leave before the ap- 
pointed hour without appointing an acceptable substitute 
(Law 21-a); the opponents have the right to consult and 
decide whether the score be canceled or counted as in (b). 



14. The Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten of the trump 
suit are the honors unless the declaration be No Trump, 



9 "Hand" is also used to mean the cards held by a player. When so used 
the sense is obvious. Also used to designate players, as in "second hand," 
"third hand," etc. 

10 See Law 25. 

11 All points won are counted whether or not they are needed to make game. 

12 See Law 17. 

13 Thus a side may win two games and still lose the rubber. 



86 The Game of Auction Bridge 



in which case the four Aces are the honors. Honors count 
in the honor-score of the side which received them in the 
deal. 

HONOR VALUES 

15. Honor values are based on trick values (Law 10). 
They are not increased by doubling (Law 35) or redoub- 
ling (Law 36). 

WHEN THERE IS A TRUMP: 

3 honors 14 between partners have value of 2 tricks. 

4 honors between partners have value of 4 tricks. 

4 honors held by one partner have value of 8 tricks. 

5 honors, held 3 by one and 2 by other partner, have value of 5 

tricks. 
5 honors, held 4 by one and. 1 by other partner, have value of 9 

tricks. 
5 honors held by one partner have value of 10 tricks. 

WHEN THERE IS NO TRUMP: 

3 aces held between partners count 30 points. 

4 " " " " " 40 

4 " held by one partner count 100 " 

SLAMS 

16. A side winning all thirteen tricks 15 scores 100 points 
for Slam. 16 A side winning twelve tricks 15 scores 50 points 
for Little Slam. 17 Slam points are added to the honor- 
score. 18 

SCORING 

17. Each side has a trick-score, which includes only 
points won by odd tricks; and an honor-score for all other 
points, including bonuses for honors, penalties, slams and 
undertricks. 

At the end of the rubber, the total points of a side are 
obtained by adding together its trick-score and honor- 
score. 19 Subtracting the smaller total from the greater, 



14 "Simple honors" means 3 honors. 

15 Without counting tricks received as penalty for a revoke.' 

16 Also called Grand Slam. 

17 When Declarer's contract is seven and he wins six odd, he counts 50 for 
Little Slam although his contract fail. 

18 Slam or Little Slam may be scored by either side. 

19 The 250 points bonus for winning two games(Law 13-a) is included. 



The Laws of Auction 87 



gives the net points by which the rubber is won and lost. 20 
A proved error in the honor-score may be corrected at 
any time before the score of the rubber has been made up 
and agreed upon. ' 

A proved error in the trick-score may be corrected at 
any time before the next declaration begins (Law 29) or, 
if the error occur in the final hand of the rubber, before 
the score has been made up and agreed upon. 

FORMING TABLES 

18. A table consists of four, five or six members, of 
whom four are players. A complete table consists of six 
members. In forming a table, candidates who have not 
played rank first and in the order in which they entered 
the room. Candidates who have played but are not mem- 
bers of an existing table rank next. Candidates of equal 
standing decide priority by drawing 21 cards. Low wins. 

ENTRY 

19. Before the beginning of a rubber 22 a candidate may 
enter any incomplete table by announcing his desire to do 
so and such announcements in the order may entitle can- 
didates to places as vacancies occur. In case there are 
more candidates than there are vacancies, the provisions 
of Law 18 apply. 

MEMBERS LEAVING TABLE 

20. If a member leave a table, he forfeits all his rights 
at said table unless he leave to make up a table which 
cannot be formed without him and, when leaving, an- 
nounce his intention of returning when his place at the 
new table can be filled. In such case, if he return, he has 
prior rights over any who have joined the table in his 
absence and may displace one of them. When a member 23 



20 Law 13 (a) explains who wins a rubber. 

21 Method of drawing is described in Law 22. 

■ 22 Law 13 (a) stipulates that the rubber begins when any player draws either 
for partners or cutting out. 

23 Should two members make up a new table, both rank ahead of the others. 



88 The Game of Auction Bridge 



leaves a table to make up a new table which cannot be 
formed without him, and does not claim the right to retain 
his membership in the old table, he shall be the last to 
draw out of the new table. 

PLAYERS LEAVING TABLES 

21. (o) A player leaving a table may, with the consent 
of the other three players, appoint a substitute to play in 
his absence; such appointment becomes void upon return of 
said player or upon conclusion of the rubber. In any case, 
the substitute when released regains all his previous rights. 

(6) A player who withdraws from a table of four at 
the end of a rubber; or who, after availing himself of the 
privileges of paragraph (a), fails to return before the end 
of the rubber, thus breaking up the table; cannot claim 
entry elsewhere as against the other three players from that 
table. 

DRAWING FOR PARTNERS AND DEAL 

22. A table having been formed, the members draw 24 
cards. He who draws lowest becomes the dealer of the 
first deal and has choice of packs and seats. 25 He who 
draws second lowest is Dealer's partner and sits opposite 
him. The third lowest has choice of the two remaining 
seats; fourth lowest takes the remaining one. The mem- 
bers, if any, who draw higher than fourth lowest, remain 
members of the table but do not play in the current rubber. 

In all cases when drawing cards, should any one show 
two or more cards, he must draw again. 

A player having made choice of packs or seats must 
abide by his decision. 

CUTTING OUT 

23. If at the end of a rubber a table consist of five or 
six members, the players who have played the greatest 
number of consecutive rubbers are the first to lose their 



24 One pack is spread face downward on the table and each member draws 
one card. All draw from the same pack. 

25 A player may consult his partner before choosing. 



The Laws of Auction 



places as players (but do not lose their standing as mem- 
bers). The draw (Law 22) decides between claimants of 
equal standing; low wins. 

THE SHUFFLE 

24. After drawing for partners, second hand 26 shuffles 
the pack which Dealer has chosen (Law 22) and third 
hand 27 shuffles the still pack. 28 Thereafter, at the be- 
ginning of each deal, third hand shuffles the still pack. 29. 
After being shuffled, the still pack is placed between second 
and third hands where it remains until the next deal. 

During the shuffle, the pack must not be held below the 
table nor so that the face of any card may be seen. 

Dealer has the right to shuffle last, but must not shuffle 
after the cut except as in 25 (6). 

The deal must not proceed until the pack has been 
shuffled as herein provided. 

THE CUT 

25. (a) Dealer, immediately before the deal, places the 
pack before his right hand opponent who lifts off the top 
portion and places it beside the bottom portion, preferably 
toward Dealer, who then places the bottom portion on top. 
This constitutes the cut. 29 

(b) If the cut leave fewer than four cards in the top or 
bottom portion; or if during it any card be faced or dis- 
placed; or there be any doubt as to where the pack was 
divided; or any player shuffle after the cut; there must be 
a new shuffle and a new cut. 30 

THE DEAL 

26. (a) The deal begins after the cut and ends when 
the last card has been placed in proper order in front of 
Dealer. 

(b) After the first deal, players deal in turn to the left. 



26 The player on Dealer's left. 

27 Third hand is Dealer's partner. 

28 The "still pack" is the one not being dealt, or used in the play of the hand. 

29 A player may not cut or shuffle for partner if either opponent object. 

30 A player may not cut or shuffle for partner if either opponent object. 



90 The Game of Auction Bridge 

A player may not deal for his partner if either opponent 
object. 

(c) Dealer gives the first card to the player on his left 
and so on until all fifty-two cards are dealt, the last one 
to Dealer. 

(d) A player may not look at any of his cards during 
the deal. Penalty, 25 points in the adverse honor-score. 

NEW DEAL 

(Compulsory) 

27. There must be a new deal. 31 

(a) If the cards be not dealt into four distinct packets 
in accordance with Law 26(c). 

(b) If, during the deal, any card be found faced in the 
pack or be exposed on, above or below the table. 

(c) If it be discovered during the hand that more than 
thirteen cards were dealt to any player. 

(d) If, during the hand, one player hold more than the 
proper number of cards and another less. 

(e) If, during the hand the pack be proved incorrect 
(Law 2). The pack is not incorrect on account of a miss- 
ing card or cards if it or they be found in the still pack, 
among the quitted tricks, below the table, or in any other 
place which makes it possible that such card or cards were 
part of the pack during the deal. Any player may search 
anywhere for missing cards, including the still pack and 
the quitted tricks (face downward). See also Law 56(e). 

NEW DEAL 

(Optional) 32 

28. During the deal any player who has not looked at 
any of his cards may demand a new deal: 33 

(/) If the deal be out of turn, 

(g) If the pack be imperfect (Law 2), 

A new deal may be demanded by either of Dealer's 



31 Always by the same dealer, and with the same pack except {c) when a 
missing card is not found. See Law 62 regarding new cards. 

32 A new deal may also be demanded under Laws 37 (d), 37 (e) and 54 (t). 

33 By the same dealer except as in (/), and with the same pack except as 
in (g) and (i). 



The Laws of Auction 91 



opponents 34 who has not looked at any of his cards : 

Qi) If Dealer omit the cut. 

(i) If Dealer deal with wrong pack. 

If any player, .after looking at a card, make a claim 
under this law; or, if no claim be made; the deal stands as 
regular, and the player to the left deals next. In case of 
a deal with the wrong pack (i), the next dealer may choose 
either pack for the remainder of the rubber. 

THE DECLARATION 

29. The declaration 35 begins when the deal ends and 
ends when all four players pass 36 (Law 38) their first op- 
portunity to declare 37 or, after a bid, (Law 30) when three 
players in succession have legally passed. The first legal 
act of the declaration is a bid or pass by the dealer. 
Thereafter each player in his turn to the left must pass, 
bid if no bid has been made previously, made a higher bid 38 
if a bid has been made previously, double the last bid made 
by an opponent or redouble an opponent's double provided 
no bid has intervened. 

BID DEFINED 

30. A bid is made by specifying any number from one 
(1) to seven (7) inclusive, together with the name of a 
suit or No Trump; thereby offering to contract that with 
such suit as trump or with No Trump, the bidder will win 
at least the specified number of odd tricks. 

HIGHER BID DEFINED 

31. To make a "higher bid" a player must (a) name a 
greater number 39 of odd tricks in a suit or No Trump than 
the number named in the last previous bid, or (b) name 
at least an equal number of odd tricks in a suit of higher 
rank (Law 4) than the suit named in the previous bid. 



34 "Opponent" is always used in the general sense. 
"Adversary" is always an opponent of Declarer. 

35 Declaration also means either bid, double, pass, or redouble. 

36 The player next in turn then deals with his own pack. 

37 To declare means to bid, double, pass or redouble. 

38 Law 31 defines "higher biH." 

39 Seven is the greatest number that may be named. 



The Game of Auction Bridge 



INSUFFICIENT BID 

32. A bid following any previous bid is "insufficient" if 
it is not "higher" according to Law 31. 

When an insufficient bid is made: 

(a) The insufficient bidder, if he do so before an oppo- 
nent has declared or called attention to the insufficiency, 
may make the bid sufficient by changing the number of odd 
tricks named, in which case the declaration proceeds as if 
the bid had been sufficient. 

(b) When either opponent calls attention to an insuffi- 
cient bid before it is changed, the insufficient bidder must 
make his bid sufficient by increasing the number 40 of odd 
tricks named; and if the player on the left of the insuffi- 
cient bidder then pass, the partner of the insufficient bidder 
must pass and may not re-enter the declaration unless an 
opponent subsequently bid or double. 

(c) If neither opponent call attention to the insufficiency 
and the player on the left of the insufficient bidder either 
bid, double or pass, the previous insufficiency is waived. 

(d) Either opponent, after the bid has been made suffi- 
cient as provided in (6), may in turn make a higher 41 bid, 
in which case the declaration proceeds as if no bid had 
been insufficient. 

BID OUT OF TURN DEFINED 

33. A bid is out of turn, 42 (not an illegitimate bid, Law 
41): 

(a) If, before Dealer declares, a bid be made by any 
other player. 

(6) If, after Dealer declares, any player bid otherwise 
than in his turn. 

BID OUT OF TURN PENALIZED 

34. After a bid out of turn: 

(a) Either opponent of the offender may cancel it. The 



40 Not exceeding seven. 

41 i. e., Higher than the bid after it has been made sufficient. 

42 When a bid is out of turn and also insufficient (Law 32), either opponent 
may elect to apply either Law 32 (£>) or Law 34 (a). 



The Laws of Auction 93 



proper player then proceeds with the declaration/ 3 the 
out-of-turn bid being ignored, but the partner of the out-of- 
turn bidder must thereafter pass whenever his turn comes. 44 

(6) When the player on the left of the out-of-turn 
bidder declares before the improper bid is canceled, the 
out-of-turn bid is thereby accepted as if made in turn and 
there is no penalty. 

(c) When the player on the right of the out-of-turn 
bidder is the proper declarer and declares 45 without other- 
wise canceling the improper bid, such act cancels the out- 
of-turn bid and (a) applies. 

DOUBLE DEFINED 

35. When, during the declaration and in proper turn, 
a player doubles, it doubles the trick value (Law 10) of 
the last previous bid. Doubling does not change bidding 
values (Laws 4 and 31), nor the values of honors (Law 
15), Slam or Little Slam (Law 16). 

REDOUBLE DEFINED 

36. When, during the declaration, and in proper turn, 
a player redoubles, it doubles the double (Law 35) ; that 
is, it multiplies the original trick value (Law 10) by four. 
A redouble, like a double, affects only trick values (Law 
35). 

IMPROPER DOUBLES AND REDOUBLES 

37. The penalties for improper doubles or redoubles 
follow : 

(a) A double or redouble before a bid has been made is 
void. 

(6) A double or redouble after the declaration ends: 
Law 41(a) prescribes the penalty. 

(c) A double or redouble made when it is the turn of 
the right hand opponent to declare is subject to the same 
penalty as a bid out of turn (Law 34-a) unless the partner 



43 The "proper player" must pass if he is the partner of the player in error. 

44 The offending player, as he has not received improper information, may 
subsequently declare in turn. 

45 When he doubles, it is a double of the last legal bid. 



9Jf. The Game of Auction Bridge 

of the offender has passed the bid involved, in which case 
the double or redouble is void and there is no penalty. 

(d) A double or redouble when it is partner's turn to 
declare may be accepted by the opponents, after consulta- 
tion, as if it had been in turn; or they may demand a new 
deal; or call the bid that was doubled final and elect 
whether the double or redouble stand. Any of these pen- 
alties may be exacted even though the partner of the 
offender call attention to the error; but, if the player to 
the left of the offender declare, he thereby accepts the 
out-of-turn double or redouble. 

(e) A double of a double is a redouble; a redouble when 
there has been no double is a double; a redouble of a re- 
double is void and is penalized by a new deal or 100 points 
in the adverse honor-score.. Doubling a partner's bid or 
redoubling a partner's double is penalized by 50 points in 
the adverse honor-score. Either opponent may exact any 
of these penalties. 

PASS DEFINED 

38. When, during the declaration and in proper turn, a 
player passes ; the turn to declare is thereby passed to the 
next player to the left. 

PASS OUT OF TURN DEFINED 

39. A pass is out of turn: 

(a) If made before Dealer declares; 

(6) If made (after Dealer declares) by any player ex- 
cept in turn. 

PASS OUT OF TURN PENALIZED 

40. After a pass out of turn: 

(a) If the opponent at the left of the offending player 
declare 46 before attention is called to the error, the pass 
is accepted as regular. 

(b) If an opponent call attention to the error, the pass 
is void and the player whose turn it was, when the error 
was made, resumes the declaration; but the offending 



** See footnote to Law 29, which provides that a pass is a declaration. 



The Laws of Auction 95 



player may not thereafter bid, double or redouble unless 
the declaration he passed be over-bid, doubled or re- 
doubled. 

ILLEGITIMATE DECLARATIONS 

41. (a) A bid, double or redouble made after the dec- 
laration is ended is. not penalized if made by Declarer or 
his partner. But should the error be committed by an 
adversary, Declarer may call a lead from the partner of 
the offending player the first time it is the turn of said 
partner to lead. 

(b) When a player who has been debarred from bidding 
or doubling, either bids, doubles or redoubles, either oppo- 
nent may decide whether or not such bid, double or re- 
double stand; and, in either case, both the offending player 
and his partner must thereafter pass. 

(c) A pass after the declaration is ended is void. 

DECLARING AND CHANGING 

42. If a player pass, bid, double, or redouble, and then 
attempt to change 47 to some other form of declaration or 
attempt to change the size of a sufficient bid, such at- 
tempted change may be penalized as a bid out of turn. 48 

REPEATED ERRORS 

43. When any player commits an error for which a 
penalty is provided in Laws 32, 34, 37, 40, 41, or 42 at a 
time when an error has previously been committed under 
those laws, for which the penalty has not already been fully 
paid: 

(a) If the previous error was committed by the other 
side, the penalty for it (or as much as remains unpaid) is 
canceled and the side newly in error is liable for the pen- 
alty provided for the new offense; 



47 A player who inadvertently says "No Bid," meaning to say "No Trump" 
or vice versa; or who inadvertently says "Spade," "Heart," "Diamond"' 
or "Club," meaning to name another of these; may correct his mistake, pro- 
vided the next player has not declared. "Inadvertently" refers to a slip of 
the tongue, not a change of mind. 

48 Unless it be an attempt to change the third or fourth consecutive pass 
which closes the declaration (Law 29). 



96 The Game of Auction Bridge 

(6) If the previous error was committed by the same 
side, the opponents, after consultation, may elect which 
error to penalize. 

CARDS EXPOSED DURING DECLARATION 

44. If, during the declaration, 49 any player lead or 
expose 50 a card, such card must be left face upward on the 
table and the partner of the player in error must thereafter 
pass whenever it is his turn to declare. 

If the player in error later become Declarer or Dummy, 
the card in question is no longer exposed; otherwise it re- 
mains an exposed card until played. 

If the player on the left of the player in error later be- 
come Declarer he may, on the first trick, forbid a lead of 
the suit of the exposed card. 51 

CONTRACT AND DECLARER 

45. With the completion of the declaration, the side 
which has made the highest bid assumes a contract to win 
at least the number of odd tricks 52 named in said bid: the 
partner of that side who first named the suit or No Trump 
specified in said bid is Declarer. 

For every trick Declarer falls short of his contract, the 
adversaries score 50 points in their honor-score for under- 
tricks. All tricks won by adversaries beyond their "book" 
are undertricks. The adversaries' book is the number of 
the bid subtracted from seven. Declarer's book is his first 
six tricks. In case of a double, the undertricks count 100 
each; in case of redouble they count 200 each. 

When there is a double and Declarer fulfils his contract, 
he counts in his honor-score a bonus of 50 points; and a 
further bonus of 50 points for each trick, if any, that he 
wins beyond the number called for by the contract. When 
there is a redouble, these bonuses are 100 points each 
instead of 50. 53 



49 Law 29 specifies when the declaration begins and ends. 

50 Law 51 defines exposed cards. 

51 When two or more cards are exposed, all are subject to the provisions of 
Law 44, but the Declarer may not forbid the lead of more than three suits. 

62 Law 9 provides that Declarer whose contract fails, scores nothing for 
tricks. 

63 These bonuses are in addition to the increased trick score, see Law 10. 



The Laws of Auction 97 



THE PLAY 

46. After the declaration, the play proceeds according 
to Law 5. Until the initial lead has been legally made, 
Declarer's partner is not subject to any of the limitations 
imposed upon Dummy. 



54 



DUMMY 

47. As soon as the initial lead is legally made, Declarer's 
partner places his cards face upward on the table and 
becomes Dummy. 55 Declarer plays Dummy's cards as well 
as his own. Dummy takes no part in the play and has no 
rights except as provided in Laws 48 and 49. 

dummy's rights (unconditional) 

48. Dummy always has the right: 

(a) To call attention to the fact that too many or too 
few cards have been played to a trick, 

(b) To call attention to the fact that the wrong side has 
gathered in a trick, 

(c) To ask Declarer whether he have any of a suit he 
has refused. 56 

(d) To correct an error in the score, 

(e) To participate in the discussion of any disputed 
question of fact after it has arisen between Declarer and 
an adversary, 

(/) To correct an improper claim of either adversary, 
(g) To assist Declarer as allowed by Law 54 (j). 

dummy's rights (conditional) 

49. If Dummy have not intentionally looked at a card 
lield by any player, he has the following additional rights: 

(h) To claim an adverse revoke, 
(i) To call attention to an adverse lead out of turn, 
(j) To call attention to a card exposed by an adversary, 
(k) To call Declarer's attention to any right he may have 
under the laws, 



54 Except consultation as to the penalty provided in Law 54 (a). 

65 "Dummy" is sometimes used in the obvious sense of dummy's cards. 

56 "Refuse" is denned in footnote to Law 7. 



98 The Game of Auction Bridge 

(I) To suggest playing out the hand when Declarer 
would concede any of the remaining tricks (Law 59-6). 

DUMMY PENALIZED 

50. (m) Should Dummy call attention to any matter 
involving a right of Declarer or a penalty incurred by the 
adversaries, said matter not being covered by Law 48, 
paragraphs (a) to (g) ; or should he, after having inten- 
tionally looked at a card held by any player, seek to exercise 
any of the rights mentioned in Law 49, paragraphs (h) to 
(Z) ; then such right or penalty is canceled and may not 
be exercised or exacted. 

(w) Should Dummy, by touching a card or otherwise, 
suggest a play by Declarer; either adversary may require 
Declarer to make such play (if legal) or to refrain from 
making it. 

(o) Should Dummy warn Declarer that he is about to 
lead from the wrong hand, either adversary may designate 
the hand from which Declarer shall lead. 

EXPOSED CARDS 

51. The following are "'exposed" cards — 

(a) Two or more cards led or played simultaneously (all 
are exposed) ; 

(b) A card dropped face upward on the table, even if 
snatched up so quickly that it cannot be named; 57 

(<?) A card dropped elsewhere than on the table if the 
partner see its face; 58 

(d) A card so held by a player that his partner sees any 
portion of its face; 5S 

(e) A card mentioned by either adversary as being in 
his own or his partner's hand. 

(/) If an adversary who has legally played to the twelfth 
trick, show his thirteenth card before his partner plays his 
twelfth, the partner's two cards are exposed; 

(g) A card designated by any Law as "exposed." 

67 If an adversary throw his cards face upwards on the table, they are ex- 
posed (except as in 59a) and liable to be called; but if the other adversary- 
retain his hand, he cannot be forced to expose it. 

58 The fact that an opponent sees it, does not make it an exposed card. 



The Laws of Auction 99 

CALLING EXPOSED CARDS 

52. After a card has been "exposed" as defined in Law 
51, it must be left face upward on the table and Declarer 
may "call" it (i. e. t require its owner to lead or play it) 59 
at any time when it is the owner's turn to lead or play, 
except when the playing of the "called" card would cause 
the holder to renounce. 

Declarer may call an exposed card any number of times 
until it may be legally played, but the owner may play it 
even if not called. 

PLAY OF DECLARER AND DUMMY 

53. A card from Declarer's hand is not played or led 
until quitted. 60 If Declarer name or touch a card in 
Dummy he must play it. 61 If he touch two or more cards 
simultaneously, he may play either. 

Declarer and Dummy are not liable to the call of ex- 
posed cards. 62 

LEADS OUT OF TURN AND CARDS PLAYED IN ERROR 

54. (a) After the declaration and before a legal initial 
lead, should the partner of the proper leader lead or expose 
a card, Declarer may either call a lead 63 from the proper 
leader or treat the card 64 as exposed. Declarer's partner 
may call Declarer's attention to the offense, but should 
they consult regarding the penalty, it is canceled. Should 
Declarer's partner spread any part of his hand before 
Declarer selects the penalty, Declarer may not call a lead. 

(b) Should an adversary who has played a card which, 
as against Declarer and Dummy, is a winner lead another 
or several such winning cards without waiting for his 
partner to play; Declarer may require said adversary's 
partner to win, if he can, the first or any of these tricks, 
after which the remaining card or cards thus led are 
exposed. 

60 A card is "quitted" when the player no longer touches it. 

61 Unless Declarer say '"I arrange," or words to that effect; or unless his 
touching the card is obviously for the purpose of uncovering a party hidden 
one or to enable him to get at the card he wishes to play. 

62 But see Law 54 (o). 

63 If the player called on to lead a suit have none of it the penalty is paid. 

64 Or cards. 



100 The Game of Auction Bridge 

(c) Should the adversaries lead simultaneously, the cor- 
rect lead stands and the other is an exposed card. 

(d) Should Declarer lead out of turn either from his 
own hand or Dummy, either adversary may direct that the 
error be rectified, but Declarer may not rectify it unless 
so directed. 

(e) After a lead by Declarer or Dummy, should fourth 
hand play before second hand; Declarer may require second 
hand to play his highest or lowest card of the suit led, or 
to win or lose the trick. 65 If second hand have none of the 
suit led, Declarer may call his highest of any designated 
suit. If second hand hold none of the suit called, the 
penalty is paid. 

(/) Should Declarer lead from his own or Dummy's hand 
and then play from the other hand before second hand 
plays, fourth hand may play before second hand without 
penalty. 

(g) Should any player (including Dummy) lead out of 
turn and next hand 66 play without claiming the penalty, 
the lead stands as regular. 

(h) If an adversary lead out of turn, Declarer may call 
a lead as soon as it is the turn of either adversary to lead 
or may treat the card as led as exposed. 

(£) If a player (not Dummy) omit playing to a trick 
and then play to a subsequent trick, Declarer or either 
adversary (as the case may be) may demand a new deal 
whenever the error is discovered. If no new deal be 
demanded, the surplus card at the end of the hand is con- 
sidered played to the imperfect trick but does not constitute 
a revoke therein. 

(j) Whenever it is suspected that any of the quitted 
tricks contains more than four cards, any player (including 
Dummy) may count them face downward. If any be found 
to contain a surplus card and any player be short, either 
opponent may face the trick, select the surplus card and 
restore it to the player who is short; but this does not 



65 Except as provided in (/). 

66 Declarer accepts wrong lead if he play next either from his own or 
Dummy's hand. 



The Laws of Auction 101 

change the ownership of the trick. The player who was 
short is answerable for revoke as provided in Law 56(e). 

RENOUNCE 

55. When a player, having one or more cards of the suit 
led, plays a card of a different suit; his act constitutes a 
renounce. 67 

REVOKE DEFINITIONS 

56. A renounce (Law 55) becomes a revoke and subject 
to penalty (Law 57) : 

(a) When the trick in which it occurs is turned and 
quitted 68 by the rightful winners, except as provided in 
Law 58(c) ; 

(6) When the renouncing player or his partner, whether 
in turn or otherwise, leads or plays to the following trick; 

(c) When one side having claimed a revoke either oppo- 
nent mixes the cards before the claimant has had reasonable 
opportunity to examine them. 

(d) When a player has incurred a penalty requiring him 
to play the highest or lowest of a suit, or to win or lose a 
trick, or to lead a certain suit, or to refrain from playing 
a certain suit, and fails to act as directed when able to do 
so; he incurs the revoke penalty. 

(e) If at any time a player be found to have less than 
his correct number of cards, and the other three have their 
correct number; the missing card or cards, if found (see 
also Laws 27-e and 54-j), belong to the player 69 who is 
short and, unless he be Dummy, he is answerable for any 
revoke or revokes as if the missing card or cards had been 
in his hand continuously. 

REVOKE PENALTY 

57. The penalty for each revoke is: 

(a) When Declarer revokes, he cannot score for tricks 
and his adversaries, in addition to any bonus for under- 

67 See also "refuse," Law 7, footnote. 

68 A trick is "quitted" when it is turned and the player no longer touches it. 

69 The fact that such player made no claim of irregularity at the time of the 
deal is conclusive, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, that the missing 
cards were dealt to him. 



102 The Game of Auction Bridge 

tricks 70 , add 50 points to their honor-score for each revoke. 

(6) When either adversary revokes, Declarer for the 
first revoke may either score 50 points in his honor-score 
or take two tricks 71 from his adversaries and add them to 
his own. 72 Such tricks may assist Declarer to make good 
his contract, but shall not entitle him to any further bonus 73 
in the honor-score by reason of the bid having been doubled 
or redoubled; nor to a Slam or Little Slam not otherwise 
obtained. For each revoke after the first, Declarer adds 
50 points to his honor-score. 

(c) The value of honors as held is the only score that 
can be made by a revoking side unless both sides revoke; 
if one side revoke more than once, the other scores 50 for 
each extra revoke. 

REVOKE AVOIDED 

58. A renounce (Law 55) may be corrected, and the 
revoke (Law 57) avoided, under the following circum- 
stances : 

(a) If made by Dummy, the renounce may be corrected 
before the trick is turned and quitted. After the trick has 
been turned and quitted, whether by the rightful winners or 
otherwise, the renounce may not be corrected. In neither 
case is there any penalty. 

(b) A renouncing player, other than Dummy, may not 
correct his error (except as in c) after the trick is turned 
and quitted nor after he or his partner has led or played 
to the following trick. If the correction be made in time, 
there is no revoke penalty; but the player in error (except 
as in e) may be required to play his highest or lowest card 
of the suit led. Any player, who played after the renounce, 
may withdraw his card and substitute another. 

(c) If, before the trick is turned and quitted, the partner 
of the renouncing player ask him whether he have any 74 

70 The fact that Declarer revokes does not permit adversaries to score for 
undertricks, provided Declarer has won (even with the help of the revoke) at 
least the number of tricks called for by his contract. 

71 The value of the two tricks — undoubled, doubled or redoubled as the case 
may be — is counted in the trick score. 

72 Dummy may advise Declarer which penalty to exact. 

73 They may enable him to win a game and, if that game end the rubber, 
give him the 250 points bonus. 



The Laws of Auction 108 

of the suit refused, subsequent turning and quitting does 
not establish a revoke until the renouncing player has 
answered in the negative, or until he or his partner has 
led or played to the following trick. 

(d) If the renouncing player be an adversary and the 
renounce be corrected in time, declarer instead of calling 
the highest or lowest may treat the card played in error 
as exposed. 

(e) The highest or lowest may not be called from De- 
clarer unless the adversary to his left have played to the 
trick after the renounce. 

(/) Should Dummy leave the table after requesting 
protection from revokes, 75 Declarer cannot be penalized, 
following a renounce, unless an adversary in due time call 
the renounce to his attention. 

(g) The revoke penalty cannot be claimed after the next 
ensuing cut (Law 25) ; nor, if the revoke occur during the 
last hand of a rubber, after the score has been agreed 
upon; nor if there have been a draw for any purpose in 
connection with the next rubber (e. g., as in Law 23). 

CLAIMING AND CONCEDING TRICKS 

59. (a) If Declarer say "I have the rest," or any words 
indicating the remaining tricks or any number thereof are 
his; either adversary may require him to place his cards 
face upward on the table and play out the hand. Declarer 
cannot then take any finesse, not previously proven a 
winner, 76 unless he announced it when making his claim; 
nor may he call any cards either adversary has exposed. 

(b) If Declarer concede one or more tricks, and either 
adversary accept the concession before Dummy lawfully 
demands that the hand be played out (Law 4>9-l), such 



74 Or none. 

75 Sometimes called "courtesies of the table." 

76 "Proven a winner" means that the adversary who plays last to the trick 
in which the finesse is to be taken, has previously refused that suit; the fact 
that a finesse in the same suit has previously won is not enough. 



10 Jf. The Game of Auction Bridge 

trick or tricks belong to adversaries even though, had the 
hand been played out, Declarer could not have lost them, 
(c) If an adversary concede a trick or tricks to De- 
clarer, and such concession be accepted before the other 
adversary objects, it is binding on both adversaries. 

PENALTIES AND CONSULTATION 

60. Laws which give "either partner," "either oppo- 
nent," etc., the right to exact a penalty do not permit 
consultation. 

(a) If either partner suggest or name a penalty he is 
deemed to have selected it. 

(6) If either direct the other to select a penalty, the 
latter must do so; and, if an attempt be made to refer the 
privilege back, the penalty is canceled. 

(c) If either says (in effect), "Which of us is to select 
the penalty?" the penalty is canceled. 

(d) A proper penalty once selected may not be changed. 

(e) If a wrong penalty be selected, 77 the selection must 
be corrected upon request of either opponent. 

(/) If a wrong penalty be selected and paid without 
challenge, the selection may not be changed. 

(g) A reasonable time must be allowed for the selection 
of a penalty, and the selection must be made within a 
reasonable time. 

(h) If, instead of exacting a penalty at the proper time, 
either opponent of the side in error play or declare, no 
penalty may be exacted. 

INFORMATION 

61. (a) During the declaration, information must be given 
concerning its details up to that time, but, after it is ended, 
should either adversary or Dummy inform his partner 
regarding any detail of the declaration except the contract, 
Declarer or either adversary (as the case may be) may 
call a lead the next time it is the turn of the offending side 



77 If the "penalty" selected be something not described in the Laws, no 
penalty may be exacted. 



The Laws of Auction 105 

to lead. At any time during the play, any player inquiring 
must be informed what the contract is. 

(b) Any player except Dummy may, before a trick is 
turned and quitted, demand that the cards so far played be 
placed before their respective players; but should either 
adversary, in the absence of such demand, in any way call 
attention to his own card or to the trick, Declarer may 
require the partner of the offender to play his highest or 
lowest card of the suit led, or to win or lose the trick. 

(c) Either adversary, but not Dummy (Law 50-o), may 
call his partner's attention to the fact that he is about to 
play or lead out of turn; but if, during the play, an adver- 
sary make any unauthorized reference to any incident 
thereof, or to the location of any card, Declarer may call 
the next lead when it becomes an adversary's turn. 78 

(d) If before or during the declaration a player give 
any unauthorized information concerning his hand, his 
partner may be barred from subsequent participation in 
the declaration. 

(e) The penalty for looking at quitted tricks (except 
where the Laws permit examination) is 25 points in the 
adverse honor-score for each offense. 

NEW CARDS 

62. One new pack must be produced to replace an 
incorrect one (Law 27-e) or an imperfect one (Law 28-g). 
Otherwise, when new cards are demanded, two packs must 
be furnished and the opponents of the player demanding 
them have the choice, unless the demand be made at the 
beginning of a rubber, in which case Dealer has the choice. 

Except under Laws 27(e) and 28(g), new cards may 
not be introduced during a deal. (See Law 26-a). 



18 Any such reference by Dummy, may be similarly penalized by either 
adversary. 



106 The Game of Auction Bridge 

THE ETIQUETTE OF AUCTION 

In the game of Auction slight intimations may convey 
improper information. To offend against etiquette is more 
serious than to offend against a law; for in the latter case 
the offender is subject to prescribed penalties ; in the former 
his opponents are without redress. 

1. Declarations should be made in a simple manner, thus: 
"one Heart/' "one No Trump/' "pass/' "double"; they 
should be made without emphasis. 

2. Except by his legitimate declaration, a player should 
not indicate by word, manner or gesture the nature of his 
hand, nor his approval or disapproval of a play, bid, or 
double. 

3. If a player demand that the cards be placed, he should 
do so for his own information and not to call his partner's 
attention to any card or play. 

4. An adversary should not lead until the preceding trick 
has been turned and quitted; nor, after having led a win- 
ning card, should he draw another from his hand before 
his partner has played to the current trick. 

5. A card should not be played in such manner as to 
draw attention to it, nor should a player detach one card 
from his hand and subsequently play another. 

6. A player should not purposely incur a penalty nor 
should he make a second revoke to conceal a first. 

7. Conversation which may annoy players at the table or 
at other tables in the room should be avoided. 

8. Dummy should not leave his seat to watch his partner 
play nor call attention to the score. 

9. If Declarer says, "I have the rest," or any words in- 
dicating that the remaining tricks, or any number thereof, 
are his, and an adversary exposes his cards, Declarer should 
not allow any information so obtained to influence his play. 

10. A player having been cut out of one table should 
not seek admission in another unless willing to cut for the 
privilege of entry. 



N. Y. Bridge Whist Club Amendments 107 

Amendments to the Laws, adopted tentatively by the 
New York Bridge Whist Club, April 15, 1922, Printed by 
permission of the New York Bridge Whist Club. 

The New York Bridge Whist Club, at a meeting of the 
Card Committee, adopted the following amendments and 
additions to the Laws of Auction, and are in force as of 
April 15, 1922: 

PASS OUT OF TURN PENALIZED 

Law 40 (b) is amended to read: 

If an opponent call attention to the error, the pass is 
void and the player whose turn it was when the error 
occurred resumes the declaration. The offending player, 
unless he be to the right of Declarer, when it becomes his 
turn to declare, must pass unless a bid made by his partner 
or either opponent has been raised, doubled or redoubled; 
if the offending player be to the right of the Declarer he 
must pass if neither his partner nor either opponent has 
bid, but if a bid has been made he may re-enter the bidding 
without penalty. 

THE DECLARATION 

Footnote 35, Law 29, is amended to read: 

A pass is a declaration but is not a bid. There is a 
difference in the penalty between a "pass out of turn" 
(Law 40) and a "bid out of turn" (33-34). The penalty 
in Law 40 is established to prevent a player who has passed 
out of turn from making what his partner can recognize 
as a secondary bid before all of the other players have had 
an opportunity to make their first declaration. 

dummy's rights 

Law 48 (c) is amended to read: 

To ask Declarer whether he has any of a suit he has 
refused, unless the Dummy has intentionally looked at any 
of the cards held by any player. 

DUMMY PENALIZED 

Law 50 (m) is amended to read: 

Should Dummy call attention to any matter involving a 
right of Declarer or a penalty incurred by the adversaries, 



108 The Game of Auction Bridge 

said matter not being covered by Law 48, paragraphs (a) 
to (g) ; or should he, after having intentionally looked at 
a card held by any player, seek to exercise any of the 
rights mentioned in Law 49, paragraphs (h) to (7) ; then 
such right or penalty is canceled and may not be exercised 
or exacted. Dummy, having intentionally looked at any 
of the cards held by any player, is debarred, under penalty 
of establishing a revoke, from asking the Declarer if he 
has none of the suit which he has renounced. 

REVOKE PENALTY 

Law 57 (a) is amended to read: 

When Declarer revokes, he cannot score, and his adver- 
saries, in addition to any bonus for undertricks, add 100 
points to their honor-score for the first revoke and 50 
points for each succeeding revoke. 

REVOKE PENALTY 

haw 57 (b) is amended to read: 

When either adversary revokes, Declarer for the first 
revoke may either score 100 points in his honor-score or 
take two tricks from his adversaries and add them to his 
own. Such tricks may assist Declarer to make good his 
contract, but shall not entitle him to any further bonus in 
the honor-score by reason of the bid having been doubled 
or redoubled; nor to a Slam or Little Slam not otherwise 
obtained. For each revoke after the first, Declarer adds 
50 points to his honor-score. 

INSUFFICIENT BID 

Law 32 is hereby amended by adding paragraph (e). 

If an insufficient bid is made after a pre-emptive bid and 
attention is called to the error by either of the opponents, 
the bid must be corrected by the offending player and the 
partner of the offending player shall thereafter be debarred 
from bidding. 

Note: A pre-emptive bid is a bid of more than one by 
the original Declarer or a bid higher than is necessary to 
defeat an adverse bid already made. 



Glossary 109 



GLOSSARY 



blank to have none of a suit. 

book applied to the declarer, is the first six tricks. 

Applied to the adversaries, is the number of 
the bid subtracted from seven. Any tricks 
made over the book will defeat the declarer. 

contract . the number of tricks over six, which the declarer 

has undertaken to make. 

cross ruff to have one suit trumped by one partner and 

another suit trumped by the other partner. 

discard ... . to play a card other than the suit led, but not 

a trump. 

duck ........... to play a lower card than one already 

played, when able to play a higher card. 

easy aces in a no trump, two aces held by each side. 

echo the playing or discarding of first a higher 

and then a lower card in the same suit, 
as a signal of strength, or as a sign the 
player has no more of that suit. 

falsecard to deceive the opponent by playing a higher 

card of a suit than is necessary. 

fourth hand player to right of original bidder or dealer. 

love score when neither side has scored towards the game. 

odd trick the seventh trick. 

odd tricks any tricks over six. 

07i the lead the one who is to play first to a trick is said to 

be "On the lead." 

pips the spots on the cards from the two to the ten. 

protection a card or combination of cards which will 

win a trick in that suit before the op- 
ponents can make every trick in it. 

quitted a trick is quitted after it has been turned 

and the winner is no longer touching it. 



HO The Game of Auction Bridge 

re-entry a card in a suit with which the holder 

may take a trick so that he can lead a 
different suit. Used for the purpose of 
coming to the lead after a suit has been 
established. 

renounce . to play a card of a suit other than the one 

led, while holding one or more cards of 
that suit. 

revoke or renig. . .to renounce, and permit the winner of the 
trick to turn and quit such trick without 
correcting the renounce. 

rubber game the deciding game of the rubber. 

ruff . to trump. 

second hand player after original bidder or dealer. 

sequence two or more cards of one suit following each 

other, such as King and Queen, ten and Jack, 
eight and seven, etc. 

set the declarer ...to defeat the declarer's contract. 

simple honors .... three honors in the trump suit held by one or 
divided between two partners. 

singleton one of a suit. 

slough to discard. 

solid a suit in which all the cards in it are good 

for tricks. 

take out to change the partner's last bid. 

tenace two cards not in sequence with one card missing 

which completes the sequence. 

third hand partner of original bidder or dealer. 



( ) times the ( ) . . . A term used to describe the number of cards 
of a suit of which the highest is the card 
mentioned. For example: 
four times the 
Jack Jack and three others of the same suit. 

three times the 
Ace Ace and two others of the same suit, etc. 



Index 



111 



INDEX 



ADVERSARY (IES.) Page 
— See footnote (Laws) 91 

AUCTION BRIDGE 

— explanation of game 1 to 8 

BID (BIDDING) 

— defensive 12 

—denned (Laws) 91 

—doubling 29 to 38 

— forced 12 

—fourth hand 27, 28 

— -insufficient (Laws) 92 

— method of, 4 

— no trump 9 

— original 8 to 11 

— out of turn (Laws) 92 

— pre-emptive 11 

— redoubling 32 

— secondary 12 to 14 

— second hand 15 to 17 

— "take out" defined (See glossary) 

—third hand 18 to 26 

— value 3, 4 

BLANK 

— defined (See glossary) 

BONUSES 

— winning rubber (Laws) 85 

— slams (Laws) 86 

BOOK 

— defined (See glossary) 
CARD (S) 

—See 1, (Laws) 83 

—cut See CUT 

— exposed (Laws) 98 

— exposed during declaration 

(Laws) 96 

— "falsecard," (See glossary) 

— new cards (Laws) 105 

• — number of packs 2 

— played in error (Laws) 99 

— touching (Laws) 99 

CONTRACT 

— See 4, (Laws) 96 

—defined (See glossary) 

CROSS RUFF 

■ — defined (See glossary) 

— how to establish a, 44, 45 



CUT Page 
—See (Laws) 89 

DEAL (ER) 

—See 2, (Laws) 89, 90 

DECLARATION 

—See (Laws) 91 

- — changing (Laws) 95 

— illegitimate (Laws) 95 

DECLARER 

—See (Laws) 96 

— "set the declarer," defined 

(See glossary) 
— play of, with dummy 43 to 64 

DISCARD 

— defined (See glossary) 

— for declarer 63, 64 

- —for partners 79, 80 

DOUBLE 

—defined (Laws) 93 

—free 30 

— improper (Laws) 93 

— of original bid 33, 34, 36 

— when to 30, 31, 32' 

— when not to 31, 32 

DUCK 

— defined (See glossary) 

DUMMY 

— See (Laws) .• 97 

— rights of (Laws) 97 

— penalized (Laws) 98 

EASY ACES 

— defined (See glossary) 

ECHO 

— defined (See glossary) 

ETIQUETTE OF GAME 

—See (Laws) 106 : 

EXPLANATION OF GAME 
—See 1 to 8 

EXPOSED CARDS 

—See CARDS 

FINESSE 

—See FINESSING 



112 



The Game of Auction Bridge 



FINESSING Page 
— explanation and method of.. 50 to 53 
— double 52 

GAME 

—See (Laws) 85 

— rubber game, denned (See 
glossary) 

GRAND SLAM 

—See SLAMS 

HAND (S) 

— See (Laws) 85 

— second hand, defined (See 

glossary) 
— third hand, defined (See 

glossary) 
— fourth hand, defined (See 
% glossary) 

HONOR(S) 

—See 5, (Laws) 85, 86 

— simple, defined (See glossary) 

—See VALUES 

— covering 69, 70 

LAWS OF AUCTION 

— (Laws) 83 to 106 

— Index to Laws 82 

LEADS 

—See (Laws) 83 

— out of turn (Laws) 99 

— "on the lead," defined (See 
glossary) 

— of fourth best 66 

• — to a trump 40, 41 

— to a no -trump 39, 40 

— through strength 73 

— up to weakness 73 

LITTLE SLAM 
—See SLAM 

NO TRUMP 

— defined, (Laws) ..84 footnote 

NUMBER OF PLAYERS 

—See (Laws) 83 

ODD TRICKS 

—See (Laws) 84 

— defined (See glossary) 

OPPONENT 

— See footnote (Laws) 91 



PARTNER (S) Page 
— drawing for (Laws) 88 

PASS 

—defined, (Laws) 94 

— out of turn, denned (Laws).... 94 

PENALTIES 

— bidding out of turn (Laws).... 92 

— calling exposed cards (Laws) 

96, 99 

— cards played in error 

(Laws) 99 

— claiming and conceding 

(Laws) .103 

■ — consultation (Laws) ..104 

— dummy (Laws) 98 

— giving information (Laws)... 104 
■ — illegitimate declaration 

(Laws) ..95 

— improper doubles and redoubles 

(Laws) 93 

— insufficient bid (Laws) 92 

— leads out of turn (Laws) 99 

— pass out of turn (Laws) 94 

— renounce ; 102 

—revoke (Laws) 101, 102 

PIPS 

— defined, (See glossary) 

PLAY 

— second hand 60, 61, 62, 69, 70, 72 

—third hand 74, 75, 76 

—declarer, see DECLARER 

POINTS 

- — scoring (Laws) 86 

PROTECTION 

— defined (See glossary) 

— keeping . . 63, 64 

QUIT (TED) 

— defined (Laws) footnotes. .99, 101 

— defined (See glossary) 

RANK OF CARDS 

—See 1, (Laws) 83 

RANK OF SUITS 

— See (Laws) 83 

RE-ENTRY 

■ — defined (See glossary) 

REDOUBLE 

— defined (Laws) 93 

— improper (Laws) 93 

— when to ...32 



Index 



113 



RENIG Page 

—See REVOKE 

RENOUNCE 

—(Laws) 101 

— avoided (Laws) 102 

— defined (See glossary) 
—penalty for See PENALTIES 

REVOKE 

— defined (See glossary) 

—defined (Laws) 101 

—penalty for See PENALTIES 
■ — avoided (Laws) 102 

RUBBER 

—See 7, (Laws) 85 

RUFF 

— defined (See glossary) 

SCORING 

—See (Laws) 86 

— illustrated 5 

— love score, defined (See glossary) 

SEQUENCE 

— defined (See glossary) 

SHUFFLE 

—See 2, (Laws) 89 

SINGLETON 

— defined (See glossary) 

SLAMS 

— See 6, (Laws) 86 

SLOUGH 

— defined (See glossary) 
—See also DISCARD 

SOLID 

— defined (See glossary) 



SUIT (S) Page 

—blocking 45, 46, 68, 69 

— choice of, to be established. .47, 48 

— establishing 43, 44, 65 

— following 3, (Laws) 84 

—leading 70, 71, 72, 73 

—major 8 

— minor • 8 

— rank of, declaration (Laws) ... .83 

— rank of, drawing (Laws) S^ 

— signals 77, 78 

— showing two 24, 25, 26 

— unblocking 48, 66, 67 

"TAKE OUT" 

— defined (See glossary) 

TENACE 

— defined (See glossary) 

TRICKS 

—See (Laws) 84 

—See VALUES 

— claiming and conceding 

(Laws) 103 

— certain 9, 10 

— losing 28 

— giving up losing 55, 56, 57 

TRUMPS 

— defined (Laws) footnote 84 

—See VALUES 
—See NO TRUMP 

— not using 58 

— using 59 

VALUES 

— trick 5, (Laws) 84 

■ — trumps 5, (Laws) 84 

—honors (See HONORS).. 85, 86 

—slams (See SLAMS) 86 

—rubber (See RUBBER) 85 



